On Thursday, the International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM) will host Immigration Matters: A Conversation on Policy and Law. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. There is also an online option.
Ahead of the event, we talked with Dr. Omar Ali, Rosenthal professor of history and dean emeritus at UNC Greensboro and senior fellow at the ICRCM, about the event. Ali will be moderating a panel of experts, including an immigration attorney, a former associate counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and a regional Latino community leader.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me a bit about how the event came together.
The event came together because there’s community-wide concern regarding the ongoing changes in public policy, especially with regard to citizenship and refugees. It’s in the news every single day.
We wanted to have a conversation where we could educate the public on what’s happening and to clarify things. This gives the community an opportunity to hear from experts in their respective fields and also ask more questions.
What kinds of things will the event cover?
We will talk about the issue of public benefits and biometrics, which are really being used to target people in ways that have increased anxiety and put people into very challenging situations. For example, parents may not want to use public benefits even if their children deserve it, because it may mean them getting deported.
We’ll also have discussions about travel bans, visa processing, ICE enforcement, and increased scrutiny for people who are applying for citizenship.
Kathy Hinshaw, chair of the Latino Community Coalition of Guilford, will also speak about the impact on communities and share stories.
We want to open things up so people can have questions addressed and also feel a sense of connection for each other.
The topic of immigration is top of mind for a lot of people. Just a few months ago, we saw ICE raids in North Carolina. Talk to me about the timing of this event.
I think it’s important as educators and legal practitioners to make sure that the public is best informed, and this is a very long, protracted challenge that we’re dealing with.
The fact that there’s so many complicated aspects to immigration requires that we come together in the community to share expertise and stories. What makes democracies vibrant is creating ongoing forums for communities to connect, learn, and grow together.
Say more about why hosting an event like this is important.
For me, personally, this is an important issue not just in terms of legal issues but the incredibly negative impact the fluidity of policy changes is having in all communities.
The issue of immigration is not just one that is about the people being scrutinized, but all people who are impacted by the culture of surveillance and lack of goodwill that is at the heart of what makes our communities great, and the nation as a whole a place that has historically welcomed and benefited from all people.
Talk to me about the history of Greensboro as a longstanding home for immigrants and refugees.
My family and I have been here for 16 years. I’m the son of immigrants. My mother came from Peru, my father came from India, and I’m so grateful to them for their courage to leave their homes and build a life here.
Greensboro has been a site for people looking to create a better life. That dates back to the early 19th century. It was the launching of the Underground Railroad, and was and is famously known for the Woolworth Sit-Ins that helped to catalyze the modern Civil Rights Movement. It’s fitting that we’re having this discussion at the ICRCM where young people encouraged by their parents and teachers saw fit to see democracy completed in America.
We have for now several decades been a site for refugees from around the world. It’s a point of enormous pride as an American to live in a city like Greensboro. We have over 150 languages spoken in our public school system. For the size of our city, this is extraordinary diversity, and it makes us a more productive and ever more beautiful place to be.
What do you hope attendees take away from the event?
I think for those who are immigrants and the victims of the vagaries of policy changes under our current government, it will be a source of comfort to see that the community as a whole cares about their plight. For those who are less directly impacted, I believe they will better understand what others are going through and better understand what they themselves can do to help.
What things, for example, can people do to help?
One thing is they can send messages to the state assembly on some of the policies that are being discussed. They will also be invited to join ongoing conversations so they feel connected because the impact has a deeply and ravaging impact on people’s psyches and abilities to function as healthy human beings.
These things have to be addressed socially, and we can do that by building community together.
