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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Now, there is fear everywhere': How Trump's immigration crackdown has permeated R.I.'s smallest city, home to a big Latino population
As the Trump administration ratchets up Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Though Rhode Island's neighborhoods have not seen the same level of ICE activity as Advertisement While it is Rhode Island's smallest city, Central Falls is the state's only majority-Latino city, with the highest percentage of Latinos of any community in the state, according to 2020 Advertisement The small city has produced big stars, such as actor But it has also faced big challenges, becoming a hot spot for Maya said fear is now more palpable than during the pandemic. When she attends Mass at the Holy Spirit Parish, she said she sees fewer parishioners in the pews. Out on Broad Street, there are noticeably fewer people dining in the restaurants. 'This is much, much worse,' Maya said. 'During COVID, while we were all afraid of getting sick, we were at home, trying to take care of ourselves.' A pedestrian on Broad Street entered Central Falls, R.I. Residents report that the threat of ICE enforcement has driven some people to "self-deport" and others to limit their time outside, affecting local businesses. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Now, people go to work, to church, and to school amid the fear that ICE agents will scoop them up and ship them back to countries they have not seen in decades, where they have nothing, she said. Rhode Island is home to an estimated 29,000 undocumented immigrants, said. In April, the Department of Homeland Security placed Central Falls — Advertisement Betancur said residents of Central Falls and other targeted communities are bracing themselves now that Trump's ' 'It's going to be really, really bad,' Betancur said. 'They have so much money. They will have the resources. They have very few limitations and checks and balances. Who is going to stop them?' Betancur said some people are making the excruciating choice to 'self-deport' rather than risk being snatched up by ICE and separated from their children. Families who came here for opportunities and safety are concluding 'this place is no longer safe,' she said. 'They are being persecuted just as much as they might have been at home.' To be sure, some support Trump's immigration policies. In 2024, Trump saw gains across Rhode Island. In Central Falls, Rhode Island Republican Party chairman Joe Powers said, 'When 42 percent of Rhode Islanders say this is what we want, and then he executes on it, there really shouldn't be any pushback or anything of the sort to say, you know, we didn't realize this is what he was going to do.' Trump's policies are 'restoring fairness and protect the public's safety,' Powers said. And people who have not broken laws have nothing to be afraid of, he said. Central Falls Republican City Committee chairman Luis Sandoval said he comes from a family of Mexican immigrants who are citizens. 'I'm all for immigration, but we are all about doing it the legal way,' he said. 'It's disrespectful to skip the line when you have a lot of people who are trying to come here the legal way.' Advertisement But others say Trump is going too far by uprooting lives and creating fear. Central Falls has not seen the level of ICE activity that has made the news in places such as Joceline Andrade, a local immigration attorney, said, 'Sometimes you see fear in their eyes. People are just taking it day by day.' She said some residents are avoiding social gatherings and family events, lest a commotion catches the attention of authorities. 'Everything feels much emptier,' David Molina-Hernandez, of Fuerza Laboral, a local grassroots labor and workers' rights organization. 'It's a city that has a lot of vibrant life in the summers, just for being Central Falls. And it's something that we're seeing less this year.' Pedestrians passed a shop on Broad Street in Central Falls, R.I., on July 22. Lane Turner/Globe Staff A welcome sign at Central Falls Landing in Central Falls, R.I. Lane Turner/Globe Staff In a survey by Fuerza Laboral, about a dozen small businesses in the city reported a 10 percent to 40 percent drop in income since Trump took office earlier this year, according to community organizer Jeremy Cumplido. 'Realistically, it's only a matter of time before some of these businesses are at risk of closing,' he said. Rhode Island Advertisement 'You won't have folks performing these tough jobs, prices are going to up, and they are ripping families apart,' he said. Former Central Falls City Council member But hundreds of people still turned out to dance at the city's Salsa Night in June, according to Solano. Anusha Alles, an outreach coordinator with the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Network, said it's 'not just helplessness' in Central Falls these days. Residents are also organizing and 'stepping up for each other as well,' Alles said. The Alles said network workers are knocking on doors across Central Falls to inform people about it. Related : Maya first came to the United States in 1987 to visit her brother, who'd had a stroke. She stayed five months, working at a Pawtucket factory. She returned to Central Falls in 1989 and gave birth to her daughter. As a single mom, she needed help with child care and returned to Colombia. But she came back to Central Falls in 2000 and worked at a jewelry factory. Maya's daughter, Betancur, 36, recalled hearing the term 'anchor baby' in high school. 'When you are a kid of immigrants, you are always made to feel your citizenship is not the same,' she said. Advertisement Myriam Maya, left, and her daughter Marcela Betancur, say the threat of mass deportations is causing anxiety in the small majority-Latino city of Central Falls, R.I. Lane Turner/Globe Staff Betancur was disturbed by Trump's 'People like me may not be impacted, but people just like me are going to be considered second-class citizens in the future if the order takes effect,' she said. 'Because of my mom's status 36 years ago, according to (Trump), I am not American enough.' Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
Axios
10-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
ICE crackdowns hit Charlotte's immigrant businesses hard
The threat of ICE enforcement is weighing on Charlotte's immigrant community. Why it matters: A surge in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents isfueling fear, racial tension and economic hardship in Charlotte, local business owners tell Axios. The big picture: President Trump's team has been demanding that agents arrest 3,000 immigrants a day — an unprecedented pace ICE is still trying to reach, Axios' Brittany Gibson reports. Context: We spoke to three immigrant entrepreneurs in Charlotte, who say they're seeing a trickle-down effect across several industries due to the immigration crackdown. What they're saying: Fear is spreading, regardless of immigration status. "No matter what their status is, they're afraid to go out, to drive, to speak up," said Astrid Muñoz, who co-owns SQS Catering, Mr. Pollo, SQS Junk Removal Service and SQS Janitorial with her husband Carlos Bergman. Muñoz describes customers and staff alike growing anxious about public interaction. Racist language, tense encounters with clients and fear of separation from family are all part of the emotional toll. "There's anguish. But I can't focus on that — I have to lead with peace of mind, or fear takes everything off course." Muñoz's biggest fear: That rising resentment and anxiety will spiral into violence. But she says she has faith that things will get better. Zoom in: Manolo Betancur, humanitarian and owner of Manolo's Bakery, Higher Grounds Café and Artisen Vegelato, says ICE's presence weighs on his businesses. Whenever there are rumors of ICE's presence, "nobody goes to the bakery," he told Axios subscribers at a recent Small Business Spotlight event. By the numbers: Orders for large cakes — usually in high demand in May for Mother's Day and quinceañeras — dropped to zero, Betancur says. Revenue is down 20%. In an interview with WFAE, Betancur said he had to lay off three employees and reduce the hours of others. "We are not criminals. We're survivors. Now the hardest thing for an immigrant is to survive in America," Betancur said. Natalia Silva, local entrepreneur and organizer of Festival Colombiano, said she refuses to let fear win. "We are business owners, professionals, entrepreneurs…and we deserve respect." Silva says events like Festival Colombiano Cultural are acts of resilience — a way to assert dignity and presence in a time of heightened scrutiny. Zoom out: North Carolina is an immigration enforcement hot spot, according to an Axios analysis. Local law enforcement agencies in nearby Gaston, Union and Cabarrus counties have been some of the most cooperative in rounding up immigrants through deals known as 287 (g) agreements, according to the analysis. Between the lines: Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden ended the county's 287(g) program agreement with ICE in 2018. Last year, lawmakers enacted House Bill 10, mandating that all state sheriffs honor ICE detainers by holding suspects for up to 48 additional hours to facilitate federal pickup, WFAE reported. But keeping those detainees is expensive, according to McFadden, who has expressed communication concerns with ICE in the past. The other side: Differences in opinion are emerging on how aggressively ICE should deport workers, longtime residents, and some people who've sought refuge from brutal regimes, Axios reports. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle detailed concerns to Axios, ranging from prioritizing the removal of criminals over peaceful residents to economic disruptions and humanitarian risks. But the differences are far from a GOP rebuke of Trump, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.
Scoop
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Human Rights Council Hears Concerns Over Displacement, Genocide Risks And Migrant Trafficking
23 June 2025 Of the record 83 million people internally displaced worldwide, at least 1.2 million were displaced by crime-related violence in 2024 – more than double the 2023 figure – amid a global decline in support for international norms, human rights and the rule of law. The growing reach of organised crime in driving displacement and rights violations was the focus of a report delivered Monday morning by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur. Driving displacement As violent conflicts worsen globally, displacement is increasingly driven by the threat of violence or the desire of criminal groups to control territory, resources and illicit economies. Additionally, in places like Sudan, Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), occupying powers and criminal groups are systematically uprooting communities to alter demographics, treating IDPs as military targets. 'Displacement is no longer just a consequence of conflict – it is increasingly its deliberate objective,' Ms. Betancur warned. In these regions, either the State enables impunity for violent groups or national security operations worsen the crisis by punishing victims and fuelling further displacement, eroding state legitimacy. IDPs in these contexts 'face grave violations of their human rights,' including 'murder, violent assault, kidnapping, forced labour, child recruitment and sexual exploitation,' she said. ' The rise in global displacement is the result of systemic failure – the failure of States and the international community to tackle its root causes,' Ms. Betancur concluded, calling for stronger support for the UN and accountability for criminal groups. Genocide risks in conflict areas Virginia Gamba, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, briefed the council on escalating risks in Sudan, Gaza, the DRC and beyond during Monday's session. In Sudan, where over 10.5 million have been displaced since fighting erupted in April 2023, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing grave rights violations. Ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF in certain regions mean 'the risk of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan remains very high,' Ms. Gamba underscored. Turning to Gaza, she called the scale of civilian suffering and destruction ' staggering and unacceptable,' noting the conflict has also fuelled rising antisemitism and Islamophobia worldwide. Hate speech fuelling violence As attacks on civilians and ethnic violence continue in the DRC, hate speech and discrimination have surged. But this surge is also occurring worldwide, further exacerbating the risk of genocide. 'Hate speech – which has been a precursor for genocide in the past – is present in far too many situations, often targeting the most vulnerable,' said Ms. Gamba, highlighting refugees, Indigenous peoples and religious minorities. For genocide prevention, she urged greater efforts to monitor hate speech, expand education efforts, and strengthen partnerships with regional organizations. ' The task of preventing genocide remains critical and urgent—the moment to act is now,' she stressed. Trafficking of migrant domestic workers Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhán Mullally, presented her report on the trafficking risks faced by migrant domestic workers. 'The specific nature of domestic work, and weak regulatory responses by States, produce a structural vulnerability to exploitation,' Ms. Mullally said. The crisis disproportionately affects women, as they make up the majority of domestic workers and 61 per cent of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022. Conditions of domestic work Many women from disadvantaged communities are promised jobs abroad, but upon arrival, realise they have been conned. They endure violence, labour abuses and sexual exploitation but are unable to pay the exorbitant penalty for terminating their work contracts. Ms. Mullally cited the legacy of slavery, gendered and racialised views of domestic work and intersecting discrimination as key factors behind poor conditions and trafficking risks. Most States lack the political will to enforce labour laws in the domestic work sector, reinforcing this crisis, she said, calling for stronger labour laws, safe migration pathways, bilateral agreements grounded in human rights and an end to the criminalisation of trafficking victims.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
An 8-month nightmare: Boynton residents dealing with relentless construction project noise
BOYNTON BEACH — A once-quaint neighborhood on the south border of Boynton Beach has become a playground for construction machinery, and the relentless noise is starting to wear thin. Monterey Bay residents, are greeted daily by the seismic sounds of trucks, gravel and concrete. Many are jolted awake hours before their alarms by the construction of their new neighbor — a rising, lofty concrete industrial warehouse and the source of their frustrating restless nights. Amelia Betancur, a longtime resident of the neighborhood just east of Congress Avenue just north of Delray Beach, calls it 'a nightmare.' 'Waking up at crazy hours to vibrating beds, truck noises, we put up black-out blinds to try and sleep in, to get woken up by the vibrating, the noise," she said. "Coming home one day from work and there's a crack in your ceiling. That's what's been happening.' Betancur said the construction work has been persistent since August and that she and her pets often relocate to her mother's house to get away from the noise. 'About nine months ago, a lot of residents and myself woke up to bulldozers literally 6 feet away from our bedrooms. … The windows were vibrating, and those are impact windows,' said Dimitri Despointes, another Monterey Bay resident. Many residents say the long construction project has affected their families, with loud noise continuing late into the night. With the project starting at the beginning of the fall semester, parents also expressed concerns for their children. 'I have kids. … They don't care that we have to sleep. They don't care that if they're working on a Saturday morning, we're being vibrated out of our beds,' said Tina Bedame, who says she has lived in Monterey Bay for almost 19 years. Adds Bentancur: '(Construction workers) don't live here. They don't have their kids here. It started right when school started. I had my niece and nephew over a few times, and they can't sleep. They get woken up and then they have to go to school. It's not a great way to wake up.' Those who work from home also report experiencing difficulty focusing, fleeing their homes during work hours to escape the distraction. '(I avoid) my home to get peace of mind, to get quiet, having to literally buy a drink at Starbucks to just get quiet,' Betancur said. The city of Boynton Beach allows for construction between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekdays and a significant portion of the day Saturday. This leaves just eight hours of silence each day for residents. However, residents recall hearing construction noise at 2 a.m., as well as on Sundays, well outside of legal hours. Residents say the project, led by Miller Construction Co., began in August. An official with the Fort Lauderdale-based construction company did not respond to calls, but according to the construction company's website, the project is labeled to become an industrial warehouse. It is expected to be complete sometime in 2025. However, noise is not the only concern. Many claim dust is coating their cars and even causing structural damage to their homes. Multiple residents describe cracks in their ceilings caused by the heavy vibrations just feet away. As concerns have intensified, residents have turned to the city for answers. 'I felt like the city of Boynton Beach did not take this community into consideration for any of this. It was just 'big business, big dollars,' and that's all they're looking at,' Bedame said. 'Boynton Beach did not take into consideration our perspective here.' Others agree. 'We have people with cracked tiles and cracked walls, and no one has even looked at the community. No one has inspected them. No one has asked us how we're feeling,' Despointes said. To assist with dust-coated vehicles, residents say the city gave them car wash vouchers. However, with only $12 and cracks in their ceilings, many feel it isn't enough. Boynton Beach City Commissioner Angela Cruz visited the neighborhood in February to observe residents' complaints and address their concerns firsthand. 'My intention was really to let my constituents know that I'm here for them. I think that a lot of the sentiment was 'The city doesn't care about us,' and I want them to know and understand that that's not the case,' Cruz said. 'I care about my constituents very much, and I will advocate for them.' BOYNTON BEACH NEWS: City has a new mayor as Rebecca Shelton wins race in landslide Cruz wants to address the current construction hours in the city, with the hopes to shorten legal hours surrounding residential neighborhoods within 100 to 400 feet building to building. Her proposal aims to end construction at 7 p.m. and adjust Saturday hours to begin at 10 a.m. 'The changes that I'm proposing are very limited in scope to protect residential areas,' Cruz said regarding future plans. 'Under no circumstances will there ever be construction adjacent to a residential area within a certain amount of feet.' Cruz encourages residents to speak with the construction company directly, and points to individual insurance carriers. While residents express appreciation for Cruz's visit to the neighborhood, many still feel their needs are not being met. Bentacur called the situation 'a double-edged sword.' 'She's (Cruz) trying, and she's here, and she's making the attempt … but what's changing?' Bentancur said. BOYNTON BEACH NEWS: Boynton rolls out two more red-light cameras. Does data show the system is working? Residents also worry it won't stop once construction has concluded, as the warehouse will likely welcome more commotion. 'One of the concerns we do have right now is making sure that once they do have tenants, because this is a massive building, … are there going to be any sort of rules and regulations to make sure that the residents are not affected by this business that's operating literally in our backyards?' Despointes said. Residents have taken to City Commission meetings to voice their concerns, with some even saying they're considering legal action. 'They hear us making noise, and they hear about lawsuits, and they are trying to be a little more considerate, but I feel like that time has passed,' Betancur said. 'We're too late to stop whatever is coming from coming … but it's like, what about us?' However, others say they have given up hope for this project and are now simply advocating for new noise and construction ordinances. 'It's not going to help us, but maybe it's going to help the next project somewhere,' Despointes said. Cruz has pushed to adjust the current noise ordinance near residential neighborhoods this month, but the issue has since been delayed to a potential April commission meeting. According to Cruz, she received unanimous support from colleagues to push forward with a new draft. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach warehouse construction project rankles nearby residents
