Posada shows need for immigration reform in midst of Trump’s “poisoning the blood” rhetoric

Leonel Flores Bustamante is keenly aware of how former President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric – coupled by Texas Gov. Greg Abbot’s approval of a bill allowing law officers to stop and arrest migrants in churches – but wants to assure the safety of longtime undocumented residents like himself in immigrant-friendly California.

That is why he and his pro-immigrant organization, Coalición del Primero de Mayo, collected signatures on a letter requesting that the Fresno City Council support a sanctuary city status for California’s fifth-largest city.

The signature collection took place Monday night following a traditional Mexican posada (reenactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem) at St. Anthony Mary Claret Church in southeast Fresno. Flores Bustamante said he would deliver the petition to Councilmember Miguel Arias.

“We are asking you to consider designating Fresno as a sanctuary city for all undocumented residents in the city,” the petition reads in Spanish.

“Sanctuary city,” the petition continues, is not a legal term but describes a city with a policy of limiting municipal assistance to federal immigration authorities.

“Immigrants and displaced people find themselves among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society, and they are frequently exposed to abuse and exploitation,” Flores Bustamante told the gathering of more than 100.

“They have limited access to protective services, which leaves them exposed to a higher risk of insecurity, layoffs, and poor essential working conditions,” he continued.

This group also confronts xenophobic attacks and stigmatization induced by the spread of misinformation, said Flores Bustamante.

Monday was International Migrants Day.

Children, dressed as Mary and Joseph or other biblical figures, led a procession of Catholic faithful through the church grounds. Their parents and other supporters filed in behind them as they knocked at three different doors “seeking” shelter.

The evening concluded with hot chocolate, Mexican sweet bread and two piñatas that children busted to harvest the candy stuffed the colorful containers.

National rhetoric remains a concern

Flores Bustamante, however, was more focused on what has been happening in Texas, the national capital and at Trump rallies.

He fears Trump’s call for massive deportation and Abbott’s new law targeting people of color could result in acts of hate against all Latinos, documented or undocumented, in states like California.

“We are here to tell our people we have to prepare. To register to vote, to vote on election day,” he said. “But we also know our rights.”

Flores Bustamante said longtime undocumented residents have been in the U.S. for decades without a work permit but still pay taxes. He doubts any significant immigration reform will happen soon because of politics.

The Republican immigration proposals are strictly enforcement measures and don’t offer a solution for Dreamers, longtime undocumented residents, or asylum seekers, he said.

The local effort, which also asks the council to recognized May 1 as immigrant rights day, comes amid national efforts to deal with the border and immigration reform.

– Monday, Abbott signed legislation that directs Texas law enforcement to arrest undocumented immigrants anywhere in the state. A lawsuit has already been filed against the law, which takes effect on March 5, 2024.

–On the campaign trail over the weekend, Trump attacked immigrants by claiming they are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

–And, a bipartisan group of Senators are crafting changes on asylum and deportation efforts as part of a deal to provide funds for Ukraine and Israel. The lawmakers have targeted a Sunday deadline. Pro-immigrant groups say those efforts should not be part of the funding bill.

“Unfortunately, there is not going to be a law for or against the immigrant community,” said Flores Bustamante, who noted it will be difficult to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to approve a bill.

In the meantime, he reminds undocumented residents to obey the laws, avoid traffic stops, and “if you behave badly, know your rights.”