Watch CBS News

Colorado immigrant families wary of incoming policies under Trump administration

Colorado immigrant families wary of incoming policies under Trump administration
Colorado immigrant families wary of incoming policies under Trump administration 03:28

A new Trump administration order clears the path for federal immigration agents to conduct enforcement at or near sensitive locations such as schools, places of worship and shelters, which can include food distribution sites.  

del-hierro.jpg
Mariana del Hierro, executive director of nonprofit Re: Vision.

The Trump administration revoked a Biden-era memo that had prohibited agents from carrying out enforcement actions at these locations.

Families CBS News Colorado spoke with expressed real fear and concerns about their future in the U.S. Places such as food pantries, where they usually feel safe, are now being threatened.

"Our community is understandably shaken and scared," said Mariana del Hierro, executive director of Re: Vision, a nonprofit in southwest Denver that serves a predominantly immigrant community.

Every week, at least 800 families shop at Re:Vision's no-cost grocery store. Inflation has led more community members to seek help at food banks, and the nonprofit expects to serve more than 1,000 families in the coming weeks for reasons beyond financial strain.

"Now, with this fear of raids happening across the nation, we are scared that folks will be fearful of going out in public, even to grocery stores," Del Hierro said. "They'll come to us to get food for their families."

As families waited their turn inside the food distribution site, they learned that even a space like this is vulnerable to immigration enforcement after the Trump administration revoked the Biden policy that prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at sensitive locations.

Del Hierro, who witnessed the impact of such policies in Arizona, said Re:Vision has a plan to protect the community.

"Not to give too many details, but we just let the community know that this is a safe space, and while they are in our building, we will do everything we can to keep them safe," she said.

Del Hierro was in Arizona when a state law passed requiring state law enforcement to determine a person's immigration status during certain stops. She recalled the fear immigration raids can bring.

"I saw firsthand what it means to experience raids, what it means to have ICE in your community, terrorizing your community, and how that can shatter a community," she said. "So for me, I take that very seriously. I take that to heart."

In the coming weeks, the organization will partner with other nonprofits to host "Know Your Rights" training in case community members encounter immigration officials.

"The most important piece of all this is that our community stays informed," Del Hierro said.

The fear in this community is evident. A couple of months ago, immigrant families CBS Colorado spoke with were comfortable talking on camera. Now, they prefer to remain out of the public eye.

The new DHS team has also informed officials that it will begin phasing out programs that allow certain immigrants to stay in the U.S. under the immigration parole authority.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.