Amid the ongoing fears of migrant raids and deportation across Southern California, one community organization is stepping up efforts to educate vulnerable communities about their rights.
One of the key voices in this effort is Esther Lim, founder of Stour Peace, a nonprofit specializing in educating and empowering immigrant communities.
Lim shared that she was wary of the number of people who were “incarnated so suddenly that they were being detained from the streets by their families,” and she began to take action.
Taking advantage of his previous experience distributing multilingual hate crime booklets during the Covid-19 pandemic, Lim has created a new set of immigration rights materials designed to help people prepare in the event of detention.
Materials that include brochures, booklets and QR codes that link to legitimate resources outline how individuals can protect their families, assert their rights, and prepare emergency plans.
The booklet is divided into 10 sections containing detailed explanations on topics such as amendments to the US Constitution, judicial warrants, and caregiver approval.
They are available in English and Spanish, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
According to Lim, Vietnamese communities in particular have become a growing target for migrant attacks.
“Vietnamese people seem to be the second largest target group. There is a big list of people detained in Orange County, and the numbers are huge,” she shared.
As the daughter of immigrant parents, Lim said the work was deeply personal. She noted that many immigrants either don’t know their rights or are too afraid to assert them because of the fear of deportation.
“It creates fear in our community and creates distrust in our own government. How can we live peacefully?” Lim said.
Through Peace, we have distributed booklets throughout Los Angeles County and have offered workshops in multiple languages to help residents understand legal options.
The organization also recommends that individuals remember contact information for immigration lawyers or legal aid groups and prepare a parenting plan if they have young children.
“(Immigrants) need to prepare to contact immigration lawyers. There is a directory of national legal aid organizations that can help them for free or at most cost, but they need to memorize that number,” advised Lim.
The booklet can be downloaded for free here, and you can also order distribution.
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