‘Many families are very afraid’: What to do if ICE shows up at your door

It has been nine days since President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at cracking down on immigration, particularly targeting undocumented migrants for detention and eventual deportation.

Across the country, including cities like Kalamazoo in Southwest Michigan, there have been reports on social media of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. While these reports haven’t been independently verified, they have sparked fear among the immigrant community.

“Many families are very afraid,” said Christine Sauvé, who handles community engagement and communications for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC). “We’ve received triple our normal call volume from people concerned about their ongoing cases and pending applications.”

Despite the anxiety, Sauvé noted that MIRC does not have an official count of how many people have been detained in Michigan.

“We’ve also heard of increased sightings, but we don’t have a solid number on detentions yet,” Sauvé said. “It’s a developing situation, and we’ll have a better sense in the coming weeks.”

According to the Migration Policy Institute, Michigan is home to approximately 91,000 undocumented immigrants, making up about 1% of the state’s total population. Among this group, Mexicans represent the largest segment, with 39,000 individuals, followed by 13,000 people of Indian origin. Chinese and Guatemalan immigrants rank third and fourth, respectively.

The center’s most recent calls were from a couple of weeks before the Trump administration took over, but Sauvé explained there can be delays in reporting detentions.

Still, MIRC is advising families to take precautions.

“We’re telling families to prepare, not panic,” Sauvé said.

She recommended families organize their documents, familiarize themselves with their rights, and ensure their children have passports — an important step, as it’s more difficult to obtain passports while in detention. To help, MIRC has prepared a guide in nine different languages for immigrant families.

Kathy Greaves, vice chair of the Democratic Party in St. Joseph County, has been closely following the situation, attending local meetings to learn about resources for migrant families.

While she hasn’t heard of anyone directly being arrested, Greaves has been following the issue through social media and anecdotal reports.

“Because I am just freaked out about what could happen to people,” Greaves said.

Editor’s Note: Watershed Voice will continue to gather information and resources regarding this issue for its readership. If you or someone you know is affected by these new policies, please contact Najifa Farhat at najifa@watershedvoice.com. Anonymity will be provided for those who wish to tell their story while also protecting their identity.

Najifa Farhat is a staff reporter for Watershed Voice.