Thao Ta |WJTV| March 23, 2021
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A campaign launched by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi aims to “untangle” the relationship between local law enforcement and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to the ACLU of Mississippi, one of the biggest reasons many undocumented immigrants are afraid to call for help is because they’re afraid a call to police would lead to a call to ICE. The ACLU calls their campaign “Unalienable.”
Esther Urbina is the daughter of immigrants. She said during her firsthand encounters, the immigrant community avoids going to the hospital, getting the COVID-19 vaccination and going to church. They fear ICE detainment.
“Especially over the years. Especially during the Trump Administration, it did get hard on immigrants,” said Urbina.
Advocates said in part because of linguistic and cultural barriers, it’s difficult to access statistical data to evidence issues seen in the community. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has a Hispanic task force and is working to develop a Vietnamese task force.
