Forum on immigration issues in Siler City aims to calm, inform Latino community
In the wake of recent immigration raids across the Triangle, two candidates for Chatham County sheriff sought to calm Hispanic residents Saturday, pledging to treat all residents with fairness.
At an immigration issues forum in Siler City, Sheriff Mike Roberson stressed that his deputies do not enforce federal laws and that the Chatham County jail does not house detainees. He stressed that his office created a Hispanic Outreach Group to pair Spanish-speaking residents and deputies.
"We do not want our residents to be afraid to call 911," he told a crowd of roughly 150. "We want to be involved in your culture. We want to be involved in your community. We want to hear directly from you about the fears going on."
His challenger in the May 8 primary, Pittsboro Police Chief Percy Crutchfield, echoed the sheriff's assurance. "I am a firm believer in respecting the rights of everyone," he said.
The forum held by The Hispanic Liaison, aka El Vinculo Hispano, came a few weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 25 people from the Triangle and Siler City in western Chatham County, many of whom were not the intended targets in the raid. U.S. Rep. David Price has since condemned the raid for targeting people who pose no danger to the community.
Siler City has roughly 5,000 Hispanic residents, or half its population, said Ilana Dubester, executive director and founder of The Hispanic Liaison. Their status ranges from citizen to temporary worker to undocumented immigrant, and it can range widely within families. Three of the men detained by ICE were the primary breadwinners in their families, Dubester said, and a fund has been established to help.
"A lot of people are worried," she said.
On Saturday, the forum offered free legal consultations with attorneys from the Triangle and Triad. Chatham County has no law firm specializing in immigration, Dubester said.
Hispanic residents also had a chance to renew their status under DACA, which grants deferred immigration action to children who were brought to the United States under the age of 16 before 2012. DACA must be renewed every two years and costs $495 each time, plus attorneys' fees that were waived by Saturday's volunteers.
The May 8 primary will decide the sheriff's race, as no other candidates have filed.
Chatham County Commissioner Diana Hales said misinformation about immigration issues has been a problem.
"Learn your rights," she urged the crowd. "What you learn to do helps if someone wants to remove you from your community. We want you here."
The forum was the second put on by The Hispanic Liaison.
This story was originally published April 28, 2018 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Forum on immigration issues in Siler City aims to calm, inform Latino community."