"If one wants to understand the impact of the raid that US border guards
have carried out in more than 60 communities across the country since
the beginning of February alone, let us listen to the children: They do
not want to go school, because they think that their parents are going
to be taken away, while they are not there", says Archbishop José Gomez
of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, vice president of the US Conference
of Catholic Bishops to the US Regional World Meeting of Popular
Movements at the Central Catholic High School in Modesto Northern
California."We have children at the Dolores Mission", says Ellie Hidalgo, in charge of the social pastoral of the parish, "if their parents arrive late home from work they immediately become anxious.
The situation is becoming very tense, continues Hidalgo in a note sent to Fides: "And if their parents do not return home, where will those children end up? In parishes across the country, we are offering information meetings to help people without documents, so they can learn about their rights, how to proceed, if US Immigration and Customs officials go to their homes, what do they have to do? For example, officials cannot enter if the door is not opened, who is going to take care of your child if anything happens", explains Ms. Hidalgo.
"A signed document is needed, a proxy", says Ms. Hidalgo, "It may not be necessary, but it is better to be safe. One of our greatest fears, she explains, is if you do not have a proxy, the child could end up in the system of foster children. This is a real possibility."
The meeting of the Popular Movement promoted by the Vatican was programmed before Trump’s victory and the main concern was the situation of many undocumented migrants.