Politics, policy drives fear in Houston’s immigrant community
For decades, immigrants in the country illegally started businesses, bolstered the work force, bought houses and raised families in Houston with little fear of being questioned about their legal status. They helped build the city into a metropolis. Now immigrants, both those here legally and illegally, are keeping a low profile. Laws such as Texas Senate Bill 4, which allows police officers to question a detained person’s status, and aggressive federal enforcement have sparked fear in the city’s immigrant enclaves, leading to a retreat into the shadows.
In the series Deeper Underground, I partnered with my colleague Ileana Najarro to examine the impact of the Trump administration’s immigrant crackdown and state laws on Houston’s immigrant community.