By Brent Ruffner
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

Some local immigration advocates are remaining steadfast after they say Trump administration policies are hurting migrants who came into the U.S. legally.

In January, local immigration groups in Phoenix spoke out against immigrant-related executive orders from President Donald Trump after he took office.
Plenty has changed since then, as the Trump administration has rolled out several immigration efforts to deport those they say are in the country illegally, but with plenty of lawsuits filed by immigration supports seeking to block those efforts.

Phoenix-based Ybarra Maldonado Law Group provides immigrants with legal services from immigration status to criminal defense, said attorney Ray Ybarra Maldonado.

The attorney said he’s seen “a tremendous increase” in the number of immigrants who believe they are at risk for being deported.

That has increased as the Trump administration appears to also be targeting green card holders, Ybarra Maldonado said. Either U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection can initiate a process to revoke green cards or send a legal permanent resident to see an immigration judge, he said.

“The main concern from people is deportation,” Ybarra Maldonado said. “Folks have established their lives in the (U.S.) and (they have a) fear of being uprooted from the community they know as home. Attorneys are providing consultations and assisting with ‘Know Your Rights’ events that help out the community.”

On Monday, a panel of U.S. Appeals Court judges appeared divided on a Trump administration push to lift an order blocking deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law — a case that has become a flashpoint amid escalating tension with the federal courts, the Associated Press reported.

Immigration advocates continue say supporters need to stand up to help immigrants, said Arizona State Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix.

“Yeah, that’s absolutely the sentiment and understanding the moment we are in,” Ortiz said.

Nationally, the Venezuelan migrants case and the immigration case of a Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested and threatened with deportation for his role in campus protests, are two examples of what immigration supporters say are “unlawful actions” by the Trump administration, the Associated Press reported.

Some migrants in Arizona are frightened of the threat of detainment or deportation, Ortiz said.

“People are coming up to me afraid in this moment,” she said.

Ylenia Aguilar, a board member at the Central Arizona Project, is a naturalized citizen who said she has her own fears about her safety.

Aguilar is an immigration advocate who is trying to educate immigrants about their rights and what to do if they are detained or arrested because of their immigration status. She works indirectly as an interpreter for local immigration groups, Aguilar said.

“I daily fear for my own safety and possible deportation,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar said she was targeted under Arizona Senate Bill 1070, an anti-immigration measure passed in Arizona in 2010, by being pulled over and profiled by law enforcement officers. The bill was widely enforced by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Some migrants who entered the U.S. legally are being detained and deported, Aguilar said. Earlier this month, the AP reported Republicans in Congress “took aim” at Bosten, Denver, Chicago and New York “over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration” enforcement, the AP reported.

“What (facts) do I have to believe that I am protected?” Aguilar asked.
Advocates want to be front and center for immigrants that need help, Ortiz said.

Ortiz said she believes she can be impactful despite not being able to pass federal legislation because she is a state senator, she said.

Ortiz plans to continue to go to “Know Your Rights” training sessions from the Civil Liberties Defense Center to help its participants and attend citizenship fares in the Valley, she said.

In the case of the Columbia student, Khalil said he is “being targeted as part of a larger effort to repress” Palestinian voices, the AP reported.

Aguilar plans to continue to educate migrants and let residents know what is going on, she said.

She said her energy and time will go to something good.

“We are the voice for the voiceless,” Aguilar said.

Brent Ruffner
Lead News Reporter | Phoenix

BRuffner@iniusa.org

Meet Brent

Brent Ruffner joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2021 where he writes about developments at TSMC and Maricopa County issues, including election topics.

He's written about stories that range from accusations that a Mesa monkey breeding facility is unsafe to what to do if you encounter a rattlesnake in the desert.

Community:  He is a supporter of the American Cancer Society.

 Education: Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University, May 2007.

Random Fact: He met former San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays at a Phoenix Firebird game after winning a contest for an autographed baseball. 

Hobbies: Hiking in the woods and collecting sports memorabilia.