The prolonged silence in the hallways and the massive absenteeism of students from classes were indications to José Payano that this was not a typical Monday at his workplace.
Payano is a school psychologist at Albert Einstein Middle School in Barrio Obrero, a neighborhood in the capital of Puerto Rico, where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out its first operations in the wake of executive orders of President Donald Trump, which implement stricter measures and reverse protections for the migrant population.
“Barrio Obrero looks desolate,” said Payano in an interview with the Amsterdam News, describing how the school community has been affected by the operations. “When I’ve spoken to the students’ families, many [say that they] stay in their homes out of fear.”
For Payano, these operations could have long-term negative effects on the student community. “My concern is that students may feel constantly marginalized because of their physical traits or because they are Dominican,” he said.
This first operation, which took place in January, followed statements by Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González Colón, who said that Dominican people “could remain calm” because the immigration measures would not affect them. However, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so the executive orders implemented by the president have a direct effect on the migrant population on the island.
“We urge parents to better educate themselves about the laws that protect them,” said Payano. “There is a lot of misinformation on the street, and many times, people repeat information that turns out to be inaccurate.” He emphasized that knowing one’s rights as a migrant could bring more peace of mind to residents of the neighborhood.
The deportations also led the Barrio Obrero community to organize to demand concrete actions from the local government and its representative on the island in favor of the migrant community residing there.
“We were requesting the cessation of persecution, the cessation of raids, the cessation of criminalization for not having regularized immigration status,” said activist José Rodríguez of the Dominican Human Rights Committee.
Through Secretary of State Fernando Domenech, González Colón stated that “although the raids against illegal immigrants are initiatives being executed solely by the federal government, the governor convened the federal security component and advocated for the fair treatment of immigrants, the establishment of protocols in sensitive areas, and for this not to interfere with the procedures of those who comply with the law to obtain their American citizenship.”
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 100 people had been arrested from January 22 to February 4 for violations of immigration laws on the island.
A study by the Dominican Studies Center at the City University of New York (CUNY) found that more than 50,000 Dominicans live in Puerto Rico.