The Executive Orders Project - Immigration: 'Just in Case' Scenarios Dominate Focus of Local Groups.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Despite a flurry of Executive Orders ordering the swift deportation of people living in the United States without legal permission, local organizations are still trying to understand what the changes mean and how they might play out.
“We’re in that mode of figuring out just-in-case scenarios,” said Tim Tate, who is senior pastor at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church.
Figuring that out, however, is proving challenging, as Trump has removed restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents making arrests at schools and churches.
For now, Tate is following the lead of Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson of the Richmond Area Virginia Annual Conference, who held a call with church leaders, including Tate, this past Friday evening.
She shared with the leaders an “Interim Guidance on Immigration Enforcement Issues” created by the Western North Carolina Conference (WNC) of The United Methodist Church.
The document outlines, among other things, information about proper warrants, and explains the difference between public spaces, which ICE may enter, and private spaces, which they may not.
The guidance itself, however, comes with caveats. For example, while the guidance on immigration enforcement documents spells out what are generally considered public and private spaces in the context of businesses, it acknowledges that what is considered public and what is considered private in the context of churches “presents open legal questions.”
Currently, Tate tells the Advance that he’s “not sure how much of a threat we face in general around here” at the present time. However, he is working to make sure the church is doing what it can to ensure the safety of people who visit the church’s food pantry, its community dinners, and other events and services.
Tate did note that St. Mark’s UMC in Northern Virginia is placing signage over its doors designating private and public spaces. Fredericksburg UMC has not done this at this time.
The Diocese of Arlington — which St. Mary, St. Jude, St. Matthew, and St. Patrick are under — has issued a pastoral statement from Bishop Michael F. Burbidge that says, in part: “We are … obligated … to serve those who come to us for assistance—no matter who they are. No Church ministry should hesitate to provide that vital assistance our faith compels us to offer….”
To that end, he “plead[s]” with law enforcement “to refrain from entering our sacred spaces unless absolutely and unequivocally necessary to ensure the safety of all persons.”
In a separate podcast, Bishop Burbidge celebrated what immigrants have brought to the diocese with “their great faith … and their families,” calling for a longer term solution to immigration that balances both the common good as well as human dignity.
Quiet, for Now
As of publication, the sheriffs’ departments in both Spotsylvania and Stafford, and the police department in Fredericksburg, tell the Advance that they have not been notified of any deportations or detainments in their respective jurisdictions.
They are, however, working closely with their respective school systems as each prepares for the possibility of deportation efforts in their buildings.
To date, the districts are establishing communication with families about their plans, as well as what families need to do in the event something does happen either at school, or at home or work while the kids are away at school.
A recent Fredericksburg City Schools’ letter, for example, worked to reassure parents about the types of information a school collects and shares. Fredericksburg Schools stressed that the district does not collect data or inquire about immigration status of students. It also emphasized that law enforcement must present documentation to “inquire about a student.”
It also asks parents, however, to ensure each child’s emergency contact information “is current.”
As for school administrators, both Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania have provided protocols to building-level leaders. In Spotsylvania, Superintendent Clint Mitchell told the Advance via email that school leaders “received guidance before the President issued the Executive Order,” and that updated information is coming.
In Fredericksburg, the district informed the Advance, also via email, that “Protocol continues to evolve as we receive legal advice. The latest updated protocol was shared with FCPS Administrative Teams on Friday, January 31.”
While there is no indication that ICE is currently active in the region, the stress of the past few weeks is taking a toll on families. Mitchell informed the Advance that “we have a few families that have withdrawn and listed [fear of deportation] as the reason why they are leaving our district.”
Questions were sent to Stafford County Public Schools, but as of press time a response has not been received.
Uncertainty, Cloudiness
Schools and churches are not the only agencies, of course, that are wrestling with what all the immigration changes will mean. Groups that support individuals in need are also planning for what may happen.
As with schools and churches, however, that is proving difficult.
At the Fredericksburg Food Bank, president and CEO Dan Maher says that the “Feeding America Network,” of which the Fredericksburg Food Bank is a member, “is trying to understand the policy changes and give guidance to the food banks.”
Unfortunately, he continues, “There’s a lot of learning curve still to be engaged in. There’s too much fluidity for good strategies and reliable tactics.”
And all of this, he says, makes for “uncertainty and cloudiness.”
For now, Maher is taking a more pragmatic approach.
“Feeding people is not a political issue, but a moral one,” he told the Advance. “We are committed to doing all within our power to continue serving those who turn to us for assistance, to the best of our abilities, because that is the right thing to do.”
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