Ramin Mazaheri
Press TV, Chicago In a year when many family breadwinners have lost their jobs and the use of food banks has more than doubled, the federal government continues to divert time and resources to wage hard-line tactics against immigrants and refugees. Under President Donald Trump, the detention of children and the sensationalistic raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, known as ICE, have finally drawn domestic media condemnation, but many say the United States hasn’t been welcoming to immigrants for quite some time. The previous president, the Democrat Barack Obama, ran on a campaign promise of progressive immigration reform.

He would be infamously labeled the “deporter-in-chief” for ordering more expulsions than any other US president, which increased the nation’s tolerance for anti-immigrant sentiment. Trump drew international condemnation for an openly anti-Muslim travel ban.

His much-touted border wall with Mexico is far from completion but his administration has enforced a “zero tolerance” policy with Mexico, causing immigration to plummet but instability for Latino-American citizens and communities to skyrocket. The open effort to reduce immigration from non-White nations has pushed African- and Latino-Americans closer than perhaps ever before in the US Immigrant and refugee groups say it’s vital to know what rights you have, but that nothing can replace grassroots and community efforts, many of which only began once Trump took office.