St. Peter Canisius Catholic Church in Nevada’s Washoe County is hosting its posada. It is a common sight during the Christmas season among largely Hispanic congregations. The celebration commemorates Joseph and Mary’s trek to Bethlehem in search of a sanctuary to give birth to Jesus.
Among the multi-day celebrations, St. Peter’s offered a modern-day parallel: A “Know Your Rights” workshop — a safe space for immigrants to gather, not only for prayer, but to learn about immigration law.
Kyle Edgerton, an Immigration attorney, addressed the crowd in Spanish and said bluntly: “Your civil rights will be violated. OK? It will happen. The idea is that if we understand and practice our rights we have a solution down the road.”
Edgerton partnered with the church, other immigration attorneys and rights advocacy groups, addressing the growing fear in the immigrant community of President-elect Donald Trump and his promises of mass deportation.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet The Press, the president-elect shared some of his plans.
“We’re starting with the criminals and we have to do it,” Trump said. “And then we are starting with others and we are going to see how it goes.”
On the potential event of family separations he added, “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.”
To add to the anxiety, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, along with 26 other Republican governors, pledged support for Trump's immigration policies and has hinted at the prospect of deploying the National Guard for Trump's agenda.
“Together, we will continue to defend the American people, uphold the rule of law, and ensure our nation remains safe and secure for future generations. We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal,” the statement read.
It’s this kind of rhetoric that led to organizing the workshops. They provide basic information on handling situations like encounters with immigration officers or law enforcement, how to protect themselves from scams, and how to access legal resources.
Mi Casa Latina, a northern Nevada nonprofit offering relief and support to immigrant victims of crimes, domestic violence, abuse, and trafficking, has seen the anxieties within the community who reach out and ask for guidance.
“But those are some of the calls that we're getting, ‘Should I pack up? What should I do? I'm afraid for my children,’” said the organization's executive director, Sandra Quiroz. “All we can do is prepare them.”
Among the large turnout at the recent workshop was Ana Maria Escobedo and her husband, Leobardo. The couple migrated to the U.S. 23 years ago with their son, who is a DACA recipient. They have built a life in Nevada, and had two more children born in the U.S.
This family dynamic creates a 'mixed-status' household.
Leobardo and Ana Maria have been providing for their family, working in construction and operating a food truck – a business they see thriving after only two years and against plenty of competition.
Ana Maria decided to open her own shop after devoting eight years as a cook at Greater Nevada Field, home of the Reno Aces minor league baseball team. She hopes to one day operate a brick and mortar restaurant.
From inside that food truck parked on the main street, Ana Maria and her youngest son Brandon,19, reflect on what feels like a swelling blow with no remedy.
“Now that this is forthcoming, we’re trying to quickly find something,” said Ana Maria. She attended the workshop to potentially start the process to obtain U.S. lawful permanent residency – getting a green card.
But she said the list of lawyers they were provided had a four-month wait for consultations. That doesn’t count the estimated years it could take for a case to complete, and there’s no guarantee of approval.
They have been calling nonstop, racing against the Trump's administration’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
“It’s worrying, because of the things one hears,” Ana Maria said in Spanish. “My kids are older now, but it’s still worrying to leave them.”
“I won’t go,” Brandon said.
Even though he laughs he’s unable to escape the fear of uncertainty.
“Like everyone, I’m worried for my mom and dad,” he said. “If that does happen — if they get deported — I’m not sure what I would do, to be honest with you.”
The Escobedo family is far from alone. Nationally, 48% of households with at least one undocumented resident have a U.S.-born child, according to the Center For Migration Studies.
That means 5.5 million American children are growing up in homes at risk of deportation or family separation.
And in communities like Sun Valley, north of Reno, where immigrant families form the backbone of businesses and schools, the stakes are even higher.
Leobardo believes that these promises made by the nearing administration, besides being campaign talking points to secure the presidency, will be met with hurdles.
“In this case, like Donald Trump, who opposes us, saying he’s going to deport people and do all these things" Leobardo said. "But we know that he doesn’t have complete control, that there’s a Congress. Even though he has the majority, they still don’t always agree to let him do whatever he wants, because he doesn’t have absolute power."
He’s been preparing for moments like this as best he can. He has been diligently filing his taxes every year since his arrival using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). This is the tool provided for undocumented immigrants to contribute to the tax system.
Leobardo has fulfilled his financial obligations, but he can’t help but feel the system is inherently unfair.
The situation is emblematic of a system that takes advantage of undocumented workers. Despite being excluded from many benefits and protections, people like him continue to contribute, often with little acknowledgment. Yet, he takes pride in doing things the right way.
“I’ve always done what’s right, but it’s frustrating to see how we’re treated differently,” he said.
Leobardo hopes the new administration can see the humanity in families like his.
“If I could send a message to lawmakers, would tell them to consider this," he said. "to support our community. It is a community that, as I say, although there are bad people, the majority are good people who come here precisely out of necessity. They come to work and send money to their families. I would ask them to consider our situation and, if possible, support Hispanics.”
Leobardo said that just like the thousands of others in his situation, he misses Mexico. But his life, and family, have roots here now. And they will do their best to keep pursuing their American dream as politics rage over immigration in the year ahead.
