Lansing's undocumented immigrants cheer Obama plan

LANSING – Yesenia Pilar has lived and worked here for 21 years, raised kids here for 16 years, and still she's felt not quite at home.

That's why she joined about two dozen people at Cristo Rey Church Thursday night in cheering President Barack Obama's announcement of executive actions that could prevent the deportation of millions of immigrants living the U.S. illegally – including, likely, her.

Pilar, 39, came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 18. She has four kids – ages 8, 9, 14 and 16 – and works as a caterer. Though her children are American citizens, she lacks the documentation to live with them legally.

For her and other immigrants, that means feeling like they can't stand up for themselves in the workplace or elsewhere. It means knowing police might target her on the roadway, because she can't obtain a driver's license.

With Obama's Thursday announcement, she said, "Finally, my voice will be heard."

Cristo Rey on Lansing's south side hosted one of many "watch parties" around the state where immigrants and activists gathered to see the president's announcement. Obama said he would, among other initiatives, expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to prevent deportation for spouses and parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for several years.

About 5 million immigrants would benefit nationwide, including some 30,000 of Michigan's estimated 100,000 undocumented immigrants.

Pilar is among thousands of people in the Lansing area who might be able to "escape the shadows" — in constant fear that any interaction with police or government officials could lead to deportation — through the president's plan, said Maximo Anguiano, who chairs the civil rights for immigrants task force at Action of Greater Lansing, an ecumenical social justice group.

"We know of thousands of undocumented immigrants here in the city of Lansing that are waiting for an announcement like this," he said. "Right now, they are living in the shadows and … they're hoping this announcement will affect them so they can live freely."

Pilar said she's most looking forward to the opportunity to return to Mexico to visit family she hasn't seen in years, without fear of not being allowed to return to her children in Lansing.

"It will be a big change for a lot of people who are being separated by the law," she said.

The specific local impact is unclear. Census estimates showed 17,414 non-citizens living in the Lansing metropolitan area in 2013, but it's unclear how many of those people are here illegally or how many might be helped by the president's actions.

Michigan has one of the nation's smaller immigrant populations but also one of its most diverse, and that had Rudy Reyes, a member of Action of Greater Lansing, saying hooray not just for Hispanics but also Arabs, Asians and Canadians.

"People keep wanting to make it a Latino issue; it's not a Latino issue," Reyes said. "It's a civil rights issue."

Many Republicans quickly slammed Obama's move as beyond his constitutional authority. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Tipton Republican whose congressional district covers Eaton County, said in a statement Thursday "the President appears poised to ignore Congress, the American people, and the root problems in our broken immigration system."

He added: "My constituents are looking for real solutions on jobs, promoting our economy, and a workable immigration policy – not more executive orders."

But the moves announced Thursday could pay economic dividends, said Don Kuchnicki, Michigan state director for Telamon Corp., a multistate nonprofit providing educational, job-training and other services to migrant workers and immigrants with legal work authorization.

Telamon works with many people who were helped by DACA, including through programs at Michigan State University, and Kuchnicki said the DACA expansion would allow his organization to help more people find stable work. And he said that would help the economy.

"These are individuals who are contributing to our economy, to agriculture, which is the second-largest industry in the state of Michigan," Kuchnicki said.

While Kuchnicki's office is in Lansing, he said most of the people Telamon serves live and work elsewhere, especially in the southeast part of the state and the Traverse City area, though there is a sizable population in and around St. Johns.

Despite the benefits that make Obama's move "a big and important step in the right direction," Cristo Rey Pastor Fred Thelen joined advocates locally and elsewhere in calling for "permanent, comprehensive immigration reform, an earned path to citizenship."

Michigan United, a pro-immigration reform group with offices in Dearborn and Kalamazoo, said in a statement Wednesday congressional action "is the only way to fully address our broken immigration system."

Still, its statement said, "executive action is past due" and "is expected to bring desperately needed relief to millions of hard-working immigrant families that have become part of our communities and our nation."

Does the president's plan impact you?

Not sure if you'd qualify for the deportation deferments announced by President Barack Obama? Email the Telamon Corp.'s Michigan Immigration Counseling Services at miimmigation@telamon.org.