Fear and dread have swept through immigrant communities following Donald Trump’s election as president. Trump has promised to immediately deport 2 to 3-million undocumented immigrants once he takes office, and since Election Day the nation has seen a dramatic increase in hate crimes aimed at Muslims and immigrants, widely thought to be inspired by Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric
Yes, you are entitled to feel afraid … but at the same time we are feeling empowered.” – Francis Madi, NY Immigration Coalition
In response, a growing number of cities, college campuses and churches have declared themselves to be sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. Some states – including California and New York, home to large immigrant populations – have said that they will resist Trump’s immigration policies.
But no one really knows what will happen when Trump takes office. Feet in 2 Worlds invited a group of young immigrants to talk about their responses -in both words and deeds – to the incoming administration.
Feet in 2 Worlds Executive Producer John Rudolph speaks with:
Agunda Okeyo, a writer, producer, filmmaker and activist born in Nairobi and raised between New York City and the Kenyan capital.
Peter Jacob, the Democratic candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. A native of Kerala, India, Jacob is a social worker who was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. He was defeated by the Republican incumbent Congressman Leonard Lance.
Zuleima Dominguez works with the Youth Power Project at Make the Road, a New York immigrant advocacy group. Zuleima is from Puebla, Mexico and came to the U.S when she was 7 years old. She is a recipient of DACA, President Obama’s program to provide temporary legal status to young undocumented immigrants.
Francis Madi is also a DACA recipient. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela to a Lebanese father and a Venezuelan mother. She works on Long Island as a Regional Outreach Associate for the New York Immigration Coalition.
Arun Venugopal, a reporter with WNYC, New York Public Radio and a contributor to their podcast The United States of Anxiety. He is a former Feet in 2 Worlds fellow.
Fi2W is supported by the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation an anonymous donor and readers like you.