For an independent journalist covering immigration raids in her own community, the line between reporting and reality is blurred. Aisha Wallace Palomares has been documenting ICE raids in Escondido, California, where she witnessed agents smashing windows and taking two of her family members into custody.
As a result, Palomeres has become a go-to source for local residents seeking information on immigration issues. Her work has sparked conversations about the human impact of policies like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows immigrants from war-torn or disaster-stricken countries to live and work in the US without fear of deportation.
However, TPS is set to expire for hundreds of thousands of people, who have been living in the US for decades. The Trump administration’s decision to end the program could leave as many as one million individuals without a sense of security or belonging. For Palomeres, and countless others, the consequences of this policy change are deeply personal.
The shift in immigration policies has also raised concerns about the safety of journalists covering these issues. With the Biden-era humanitarian program set to expire, critics argue that it’s become increasingly difficult for reporters like Palomeres to report on sensitive topics without putting themselves at risk of deportation or worse. As one journalist who fled Nicaragua and is now living in the Bay Area puts it, “the fear of being deported is always present, even when I’m behind a desk.”
Source: https://www.kqed.org/news/12052854/a-teenager-a-journalist-and-a-construction-worker-caught-up-in-trump-immigration-crackdown