Wilmington immigration attorney warns civil rights at risk as ICE raids hit NC cities
RALEIGH, NC (WWAY-TV) – After hundreds of arrests in Charlotte, immigration authorities are targeting areas around the state’s capital.
Vanessa Gonzalez is an immigration attorney in the Wilmington area who says her clients are panicked.
“My clients are feeling nervous, anxious, terrified even the ones that are in lawful status are concerned about their everyday activities,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez spoke with WWAY on her way to Raleigh-Durham for two clients who are being interviewed for their green cards. She said the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants has crossed the legal line.
“We’re seeing the overall evaporation of people’s civil rights not just limited to undocumented people but folks in a variety of immigration statuses including U.S. citizens,” Gonzalez said.
The raids in North Carolina come after the Trump administration launched an immigration crackdown in Los Angeles and Chicago.
The department of Homeland Security said its focusing on North Carolina due to its sanctuary policies which limit cooperation between local authorities and immigration agents.
Governor Josh Stein said they are in the dark.
“They are operating in the shadows they are driving around Charlotte in unmarked cars wearing paramilitary garb, masks, stopping people on the street randomly, based on the color of their skin,” Stein said.
But that claim is disputed by homeland secretary, Kristi Noem.
“Our ICE officers and our CVP officers and leadership team have been in communication with local law enforcement and those at the state level,” Noem said.
As the politicians jockey in the PR war. Gonzalez has no doubt why ICE is targeting North Carolina cities.
“Seeing the communities that are targeted tend to a political tinge to them, and are those that are either full of blue or Democrat leadership, or those who do not support the current administration’s ICE priorities,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also said high immigrant employment in state agriculture could have also been the lure.
“We have a high mixed status population that is driven definitely on the type of sectors that we have here…agriculture.”
Gonzalez said those who are approached by ICE are not to say or sign anything and share their immigration file number with loved ones so they can be identified.
