Puerto Rican Mayor Offers Sanctuary Amid Growing…

Puerto Rican Mayor Offers Sanctuary Amid Growing Raids: 'I Am Not Going to Ask to See Papers, We Are All Brothers Here'

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team (Credit: Reuters / LUCY NICHOLSON)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 241 people in Puerto Rico and 38 in the U.S. Virgin Islands since January 26, following the Trump administration's efforts to intensify immigration enforcement across the country.

Of those detained, 234 were for administrative reasons and 45 for criminal violations, according to data from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as reported by Puerto Rican news outlet El Nuevo Día. 183 of them, an overwhelming majority, are Dominican nationals, with others hailing from 19 additional countries including Haiti, Venezuela, Mexico, and China.

The impact of these raids has prompted both local and religious leaders in Puerto Rico to offer sanctuary and support to undocumented immigrants, particularly Dominicans, who make up the largest immigrant community on the island, as The Associated Press examined in a report on March 20.

"Any undocumented migrant can come by city hall if they need help," said Julio Roldán Concepción, mayor of Aguadilla, a coastal town where many migrants arrive by boat to AP. "I am not going to ask to see papers to give it to them. ... We are all brothers here."

Community leaders consulted by the outlet have also raised concerns about the scope and methods of the arrests. "They appear and snatch people," said Pastor Nilka Marrero, who conducts role-playing exercises with parishioners to prepare them for potential encounters with ICE.

José Rodríguez, president of the Dominican Committee of Human Rights, echoed the pastor's words, adding that "they (immigrants) are afraid to go out; they're afraid to take their children to school." The Puerto Rico Department of Education reported up to 70% absenteeism in schools with high Dominican student populations and instructed principals to deny entry to federal agents without warrants.

The Episcopalian Church has also launched a program offering food, legal aid, and spiritual support, while the Association of Medical Surgeons pledged telehealth services for undocumented individuals.

ICE, on its end, has conducted raids at work sites, leading to arrests of laborers and business owners, including individuals with long-standing ties to the island.

Romelinda Grullón, director of the Center for Dominican Women, noted that fear persists among migrants, including those fleeing violence. "The need for women is to survive and not be deported," she told El Nuevo Día. She likened deportation to grief, stating, "When they came, they risked everything, even violations, but had hope to escape poverty. Now, that is gone."

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