Fear still present in Latinx community; churches, activist groups show support

Edith Santos with SiembraNC, a local immigrants' rights activist group in Alamance County speaks at First Baptist Burlington for the community forum "Resisting ICE in Alamance County." Her speech was translated by Vanessa Bravo, associate professor in communications at Elon University.

Faith, activist groups show support for the Latinx in Alamance through community ID, forum

BURLINGTON — Around a month after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a mobile home park in Burlington, many in the Latinx community still say they feel afraid to leave their homes.

But the weekend of March 9, the local Latinx community did not face their fears alone. The Alamance Chapter of the NAACP stood alongside them in a community education forum, “Resisting ICE in Alamance County.” ICE in conjunction with the Alamance County Sheriff’s office is seen by the Latinx community as the major proponent of fear.

At the forum, President of the Alamance Chapter of the NAACP Rev. Curtis Gatewood said that the county is “called to stand against countrywide racial and immigrant criminalization.” The job of the NAACP and the African-American community is to stand with its “brothers and sisters,” according to Gatewood, because “a people united cannot be defeated.”

Rev. Curtis Gatewood delivers a speech bringing attendees to their feet, in opposition to the recent ICE raids and federal law enforcement.

A handful of local churches have joined with Gatewood’s message and opened their doors to the Latinx community. Most notably the Catholic church Blessed Sacrament under the leadership of Friar Paul Lininger has supported the Latinx.

Lininger is a Franciscan Friar, an order within the Catholic church, based in community work.

Blessed Sacrament holds two Spanish masses on the weekends, each of which are filled to the brim. The church is a safe place for the families to gather together, when according to Lininger, they may not have anywhere else they feel safe.

“The term friend, neighbor, brother or sister is left unspoken,” said Liniger at the forum, addressing the lack of inclusivity in Burlington.

With the trust Lininger established at his church, he partnered with the organization Faith Action International House in Greensboro. Faith Action provides Blessed Sacrament with its Faith Action ID card. While the community ID does not protect immigrants or replace a license, it helps local law enforcement, banks, hospitals and other entities identify those of other nationalities.

In the past year, Blessed Sacrament along with Faith Action and the Burlington Police Department issued around 2,500 IDs, according to Burlington Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe.

“It’s centered around the notion of trust,” said Sofia Mosquera, director of community education and advocacy for Faith Action.

Mosquera said Faith Action wants to better community relations between the Latinx community and the police departments.

“We try to have that bridge-building work,” Mosquera said. “Because otherwise, we realize these communities will not talk to each other.”

Sofia Mosquera, director of community education and advocacy at Faith Action International House working at her desk in Greensboro.

Currently, the Burlington Police Department has made it a corporate policy to take the Faith Action ID into consideration when citing or arresting a person, according to Smythe. The sheriff's office leaves it up to the discretion of each officer.

Faith Action has established partnerships with government agencies across the triad and triangle in North Carolina. It's community ID program has also been picked up by other states like Iowa, Florida and Ohio, according to Mosquera.

Smythe has been intentional about partnering with the Latinx community. He said he values the Faith Action ID programs because of the time a person spends with an officer.

“The first and most valuable part of the program is that it builds trust with the local police department,” Smythe said.

When someone is waiting for their ID to be processed at the church, they are listening to information about how to be a citizen in Burlington. For example, they may hear instructions on how to call 911 or how to get a real license. Smythe sees tapping into this time as hugely important for community relations.

Smythe said there is an officer at each ID drive that says, “You should call us, integrate with us,” and believes education is the highest value of the ID card.

Assistant Burlington Police Chief Brian Long speaks at the community forum, "Resisting ICE in Alamance County" in place for Burlington Police Chief Jeffery Smythe.

These messages are delivered to ID holders in Spanish and in English. In 2013, the Burlington Police department had two Spanish-speaking officers. Now they have six, according to Smythe.

But these IDs are not always seen as a success in the Latinx community. According to a spokesperson for SiembraNC, an immigrants rights group in the area, many have reported officers tossing the IDs on the ground and asking for additional verification.

Mosquera immigrated to Mexico with her family when she was 11-years-old. Though she has legal status, she said she understands the fear that the Latinx community feels in the triad and is motivated by her work with Faith Action daily.

“People are truly afraid, and it’s not just reasonable but it’s valid,” Mosquera said. “We have a lot of folks in our community that live in constant, everyday fear.”

At the end the community forum, Gatewood asked for the crowd to hold hands. People of all colors — black, brown, white and police-blue — joined hands together to pray over the county and "unite" against federal law enforcement.

“It’s time to stand,” said Gatewood. “We’re ready to turn up the heat that creates the warmth of love.”

Community members join hands to sing and pray at the end of the community forum "Resisting ICE in Alamance County."