Celia Jiménez here, inviting our community to join me tomorrow afternoon, Feb. 6 at the Press Club in Seaside as I have a conversation with Blanca Zarazúa, a Salinas-based immigration attorney and honorary consul of Mexico. We’ll talk about her family immigration history, the challenges immigration attorneys are facing with the new administration and advice on how we all can help the immigrant community.
As we know, immigration is a contentious topic and it has returned to the main stage since President Donald Trump took office. He vowed to enact mass deportation, and on his first day in office, he signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship.
Trump's election last year triggered local government, community members and organizations to work together to create a county-wide ad hoc committee on immigrants’ rights. It also triggered nonprofits, school districts and attorneys to provide know your rights workshops among the immigrant community in Monterey County.
Local activists and residents also joined the nationwide movement “A Day Without Immigrants” on Monday to empower immigrants in their communities.
The president’s immigration policies, along with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s recent activity in Monterey County and beyond, have created uncertainty on the streets and in the legal realm. (According to ICE, its operations were focused on individuals with violent criminal histories.)
If you are interested in listening to the next installment of Mic’d Up at The Press Club, the event takes place tomorrow, Feb. 6 at 12:30pm at The Creperie Cafe, 1123 Fremont Blvd. in Seaside. The conversation with Zarazúa will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.
I want to know what questions you have about immigration. Feel free to reach out.
(2) comments
Legal immigration has never been a hot topic. Just illegal immigration. It's like you don't let everyone into your house, right? No, you make sure they were invited into your home. And to imply "who's going to pick your vegetables, fruit, etc.. well that's the same logic the Southern Democrats used to justify slavery. They constantly stated "who's going to pick the cotton?" Legal immigration is a beautiful thing.
Michael, I agree with you. The level of obfuscation that MCN is using in pumping out article after article on immigration is laudable. However, they continue to hide the truth. It is interesting to hear them constantly suggest who will work the fields, who worked them before? Who worked them throughout history. Importing workers is new. Just read a Steinbeck novel. Not only that, automation is on the horizon. Wendy Askew said there are 90k illegals in Monterey County. I, frankly, do not think that is a good thing. That is a massive strain on any system.
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