Ashton Clemmons: No security facing deportation

Recently I sat in a gymnasium surrounded by mothers worried about their children’s future. Mothers who send their children to our schools, worried they may not see them again. Mothers who came to learn how to protect their families. Mothers who held their daughters, pink bows scrunched against their chests.

These mothers listened as organizers explained the new Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements.

I watched their faces as they heard their families would be a priority for deportation if accused of a crime or if any immigration agent sees their family as a threat for any reason. I heard a mother ask – in response to the “no privacy” provision – “should I stop paying taxes so our information is not in the system?” to which a second mother answered, “no, it is better to show them that we are working and doing the right thing.”

I tried to imagine, as a mother, how it feels for an organizer to recommend a power of attorney training in case they are sent away from their young children without notice.

I listened to their children’s laughter. It sounds the same as my children’s laughter – innocent, joyous and bold.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Ashton Clemmons: No security facing deportation."