Pastor Nilka Marrero will slam her hand on the table, raise her voice and, if needed, shake her parishioners while playing the role of a federal agent.
Many of her parishioners are undocumented immigrants, and she believes that role-playing with them can help prepare them for the threat of arrest as authorities step up immigration raids to a scale never before seen in Puerto Rico.
“They appear and snatch people,” Marrero said.
For decades, undocumented immigrants have lived in the U.S. territory without fear of arrest. They’re allowed to open bank accounts and obtain a special driver’s license. Many have felt safe enough to open their own businesses.
Then, on Jan. 26, large-scale arrests began.
U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents raided a well-known Dominican community in a nod to a new policy of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to deport millions of people who have entered the United States illegally.
The arrests have angered Puerto Rican officials and civil leaders who have created programs to help the island’s undocumented immigrants, many of whom are from the Dominican Republic.
Arrests and questions
An estimated 55,000 Dominicans live in Puerto Rico, although some experts believe the number could be even higher. It’s unclear how many are undocumented, although some 20,000 have the special driver’s license.
More than 200 people have been arrested since Jan. 26, nearly all men. Of those arrested, 149 are Dominican, according to data ICE provided The Associated Press.
Sandra Colón, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Puerto Rico, said the agency is focusing on those with a criminal record or who have received a final court ruling that they must leave the country. But she said she did not immediately have available how many of those arrested have criminal records.
Annette Martínez, Puerto Rico’s ACLU director, said it’s unknown where those arrested have been taken or if they have been deported. “We’re concerned about the different methods ICE is using for detainment,” she said.
