By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — A meeting about President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigration Saturday in Warsaw also focused significantly on federal budget cuts that could trickle down and impact the local level.
Attorney Travis McConnell hosted the meeting to keep the public apprised of what undocumented residents face and an update on federal and state proposed budget cuts.
Attorney Travis McConnell and businessman Nathan Underneath fielded questions for more than an hour and the event was void of political attacks or outright visible anger.
McConnell pointed out that there have been more than a dozen executive orders by Trump related to immigration during his first four weeks in office, he said.
McConnell said he’s not aware of any major raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE officers) at a church or school anywhere in the country and said he thinks the focus has targeted those accused of breaking the law.
Some media reports suggest the pledged crackdown has started rather slowly,
On the other hand, McConnell said contact with jails has ramped up somewhat.
He said he’s only aware of four instances of ICE visiting the local jail in the past decade and three of those have happened since Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20.
The early phase of the apparent crackdown, he said, seems to be focusing “on the detention and removal of unlawful immigrants, specifically those who come into contact with the criminal justice system.”
His advice was to stay out of trouble and if necessary, rely on people who can legally drive.
“The best thing that you can do, if you are in that category, is not come into contact with the criminal justice system,” McConnell said.
He also urged people to reduce the fear-mongering, some of which he’s caught wind of.
Small business-like sized cards were available spelling out the legal options if somebody is questioned by police.
“Everything you say, they are looking with a particular focus, and misunderstandings can happen way too easily,” McConnell said. “It’s usually best to remain silent. Also, if you are being asked, it’s important to assert your right to say, ‘I would like to speak with an attorney.’ ”
Trump’s desire to slash the federal budget — a wide-ranging effort that’s already well underway — could affect local programs funded through the US Department of Education which Trump has said could be shut down.
If that happens, programs such as Head Start, and the free and reduced lunch program could be adversely affected.
Some questioned who would pick up the slack if that happens.
“What comes to my mind as a Christian, is like, are the churches going to step up and fill this gap or who is going to fill this gap? This is, from a Biblical context, the poor, depressed the marginalized and the immigrants are being left out,” he said.
“I don’t know who will if the government won’t,” he added.
Nearly 50 people attended the meeting at Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion.
A link to the live stream is available at the McConnell’s Law Office Facebook page. You can find that here.
