ICE Raids Have Far-Reaching Effects on the Human Services Industry
Photo via Mass 50501 Volunteer
The Trump regime is targeting our communities in Boston because we stand for everything he can't comprehend. We are a diverse, intelligent, educated, involved and caring community. Boston is a city of immigrants from all walks of life, and this diversity makes us strong. ICE is in our communities, tearing apart families because they can't understand our strengths.
In the greater Boston area, many immigrants from all walks of life are employed in Human Services, the industry that takes care of children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Nursing homes, hospitals, day programs and group homes employ staff from across the globe, many of whom came to this country legally. In these settings, staff work 12 to 16 hours a day in teams, which creates exceptionally strong bonds between coworkers. When staff share meals, get to know each other's families, and experience traumatic events together, the bonds that are created go beyond those of most peers at work.
The Human Services industry is facing a long term staffing crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care system crises left the most vulnerable people among us at risk of neglect. Since then, staffing levels have not recovered to pre-COVID levels. The industry is struggling to get enough staff in the door to provide adequate care.
In the Boston area, many Human Services staff are Haitian. They arrived in the US legally, with protected status, as a part of a humanitarian policy. These Haitians take care of my community's loved ones in nursing homes and schools. The Trump regime has terminated the protected status of half a million immigrants from Haiti and they now live under constant threat of deportation. When these members of our community, who provide essential services, are ripped away and disappeared, it impacts us on multiple levels. On a personal level, that person's loved ones are left picking up the pieces and facing an uncertain future. On a job site level, coworkers who have formed tight bonds are devastated when a member of the team simply vanishes. On a societal level, our institutions that serve our most vulnerable individuals are left even more short staffed, even more strained for resources, and even more at risk of collapse.
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