By: Darian Hale
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations of undocumented immigrants has mobilized ECU political science major Jalind Lampa.
Lampa, who is of Cuban and Haitian origin, was one of several organizers of a Feb. 2 protest at the Greenville Town Common to oppose the deportation crackdown. Countless other protests have been held across the nation following ICE raids around the country.
The Greenville protest started with a march at the Town Common, leading through downtown and eventually on to ECU’s campus, then circled back around.Protestors voiced their concerns and waved flags from their respective countries of origin.
Lampa said he is fearful of the recent political rhetoric being said about immigrants and is concerned about the deportation policies the Trump administration has begun to enact.
“The rhetoric put out by Trump and his administration regarding immigrants is heinous, though unsurprising given his track record in politics,” said Lampa. “Of course, this fear mongering is often applied exclusively to black and brown immigrants, which he has historically alluded to as dregs within American society, a sentiment that is reflected in the worst of his base.”
Lampa added that Trump’s “disdain for communities of color, combined with recent reports of ICE overstepping [its] bounds of authority in detaining US citizens based on their perceived ethnicity ought to serve as a warning sign and a rallying cry for those who are actively and tangentially affected by this approach.”
Lampa added that because of Greenville’s sizable Latino population, many in the community have been concerned.
Lampa also noted that minority communities have long been treated badly in the South. “Greenville, as with many cities in the South, has a history of not always looking out for the best interests of underrepresented members of the community, and I fear we may soon see that trend escalate.”
As protesters marched from the Town Common into downtown Greenville, bystanders and observers heckled them, yelling, “Make America great again and go home.”
Despite the comments, the group continued to march, until stopping for protestors to share personal stories of family members and loved ones affected by the anti-immigrant rhetoric.
One of the speakers who stood up to share his family’s story was Alex Lopez, a teaching assistant for disabled children. “My dad immigrated to the United States, undocumented but without committing any crime, and he has been deported back to Mexico. I learned about this through a phone call while I was at work.It hurt.”
Another topic concerned a recent Facebook post that went viral by Toby Boutilier, the executive chef and owner of Starlight Café. In the post he described an incident where drunk college students damaged the property of local immigrant construction workers while yelling, “Go back to Mexico.”
Lopez called the incident “deplorable,” saying that it “really shows what type of people they are and what type of people we are allowing to have a voice in our community. If we let things like that go unchecked, then what does that say about what we’re willing to let slide?”
Lopez added that law enforcement should do more to protect immigrants in the community.
Other protestors included Christopher Hill, a traveling electrician and the son of Filipino immigrant parents. He blamed both political parties for having misconceptions about immigrants and for thinking that the country will be better without them.
“It is scapegoating,” he said, “and history has shown that you can get rid of a group of people but what happens when your life is still miserable? And how many scapegoats do you have to live through to figure out hey maybe these people are not the issue.”
Hill added that too many people see immigrants just as laborers. “They are like human beings, you know? . . . I would rather see basic empathy for these people rather than scapegoating.”
Protestors also addressed the rights that immigrants should know if they are detained by ICE and what ways unlawful detainment can be avoided or prevented. They urged community members to be mindful and empathic, and urged local politicians and members of Congress to rally around the support for migrant families suffering from deportation and separation.
Santana Chiefstick, who led chants and organized the line during the march, said citizens can impact policy changes or help those being affected by deportations.
“Being informed, for one, but also having workshops, mobilizing the community, and we must engage with legal attorneys who are willing to help families. I also think that we need to lay out the simple fact that those who are coming here are escaping” things like poverty. Immigrants “are just hardworking people pursuing a better life, just like everyone else,” Chiefstick said. “Maybe then we can forge a unity in Greenville and everywhere, because that is what we need.”