Lawrence residents on edge after ICE raids
This past weekend, cellphone video captured FBI and DEA agents taking people into custody in Lawrence. Sharlin Benitez is the Community Resource and Outreach director for Lazarus House Ministries. It is a faith-based nonprofit that offers the community food, shelter, clothing and advocacy services with an open and nonjudgmental heart.
Communities living in fear
Benitez says ever since President Donald Trump gave the FBI, ATF and other federal agents the power to deport people, communities like Lawrence have been on edge. "Fear. It makes me sad because I know where they are coming from," Benitez said.
Benitez says because of arrests like these taking place in different parts of the city, there have been fewer people showing up to eat at their soup kitchen. "Less people definitely. There is a fear in the community when it comes to everything going on, and immigration statuses," she said.
She says many of their customers fear that with new federal policies in place there are concerns from parents on their way to pick up their kids from school and families afraid to leave their homes.
"Before they pick up their kids from school, they're coming in here and they're looking around, and they rush me," Benitez said. "I get it because the unknown is scary."
"This is a safe space"
But she says their mission to serve the most vulnerable has never been stronger.
"I hope that we can make it a point to make people feel safe, so they know they can come here. This is a safe space, they're going to get the services regardless," she said.
There has been no word on how many arrests were made this past weekend. WBZ reached out to both the DEA and ICE for comment but did not hear back.
