Since President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20, his administration has taken several actions affecting immigrants in the United States.
Some of those include attempting to strip birthright citizenship, abolish sanctuary spaces from immigration raids and send deportees to Guantanamo Bay.
"I think many of the executive orders that have been issued by this president have already been challenged in court, and I expect that many more of them will be challenged," said Kirby Tyrell, Washburn University family and immigration law clinic director.
One of the organizations objecting to the Trump administration's immigration efforts is the American Civil Liberties Union. Micah Kubic, Kansas ACLU director, said Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship was "flagrantly and brazenly unconstitutional."
Kubic said it could have unforeseen and generational consequences.
"There are millions of people whose parents and grandparents were born in this country but born of immigrant parents," Kubic said. "So, the citizenship of millions and millions more people could be endangered."
El Centro of Topeka director Lalo Muñoz sat down with The Capital-Journal to discuss the changing climate of immigration in America and how it affects Topeka.
"I think there's still a lot of trepidation and fear among Spanish-speaking immigrants, but really, there are other immigrants as well who are affected by this," Muñoz said.
Kansas City-based immigration lawyer Michael Sharma-Crawford said there already have been reports of immigration officers as close as Lawrence and Liberty, Missouri.
"Enforcement will continue unabated on targeted individuals," Sharma-Crawford said in an email. "The greatest harm to the community is to people present where a targeted individual is located. (On Feb. 7), HSI, a component of ICE, was looking for an individual in Liberty, MO, who they thought worked at a restaurant. They ended up not finding him but took 12 employees instead."
What are people's rights when interacting with immigration officers?
When faced with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, whether you're in your home, place of work, school, hospital or anywhere else, you have rights, said Tyrell, the Washburn family and immigration law clinic director.
"I think it's really important to individuals, and I've seen some really wonderful 'know your rights materials circulating,'" Tyrell said.
ICE officers may use two kinds of warrants, with one enforceable and one not, Tyrell said. The only time a warrant is enforceable is when it's court-ordered and signed by a judge.
Tyrell said it is important for immigrants to create a plan, so they aren't in an emergency.
"They can be working with their families on what we call kind of family preparedness," he said. "So, this is the idea that, you know, if a family member is apprehended by ICE or is detained, they have had conversations with their family members. They have their documents all in order.
"They have talked to a friend or family member, if they have children, about who is going to take responsibility for those children."
Muñoz said El Centro has doubled in calls for help and inquiries since Trump took office. The organization is a resource hub that helps immigrants and the Spanish-speaking community in Topeka. One of the many immigration resources they have available is red cards that help people know what to say to ICE agents if approached and what their rights are.
"Red cards are so valuable because it gives a quick, brief overview of the rights," Muñoz said. "Kirby made mention to it, the rights that every individual in this country has are guaranteed by the Constitution. And if you don't always have an attorney right next to you available the next best thing is these red cards, which tell you exactly what you should or shouldn't do.
"You shouldn't volunteer any information and you should be quiet until you have the support of an attorney."
Muñoz said there's been a longtime need for immigration reform in the U.S. and mass deportation isn't the solution.
"I think that for a long time, advocates of immigrants have said that our immigration system right now needs addressing and needs an overhaul because we understand that the role our immigrant community plays in our economy and in our communities is significant," Muñoz said. "This focus solely on deportation without also focusing on our immigration system will have an impact on lots of families and the bottom dollar in ways that we haven't seen yet."
Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcalá said immigrants often learn from others where to go and which places are safe.
"Word of mouth is a very strong component on how immigrants get an understanding of where safe places are to go," Valdivia-Alcalá said.
How anti-immigration rhetoric impacts communities in Topeka
In an interview with The Capital-Journal, Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, D-Topeka, said the anti-immigration rhetoric made by the Trump administration has caused tensions between Topekans. Schlingensiepen, who is pastor at First Congregational Church, went on to say this kind of rhetoric is dangerous.
"My concern is that, as the president is appearing to be tough on immigration it emboldens those who I consider to be weak-minded, and who, for whatever reason, bear resentments in all kinds of ways or just have anger management issues," Schlingensiepen said. "It justifies their doing things that they otherwise would not have done when the leader acts in ways that seem to legitimate the ways they want to act.
"They feel like that's a cue, and that's a dangerous situation. It's also highly irresponsible."
Tyrell said it is important to combat rhetoric circulating against immigrants.
"I think that all Kansans, not just immigrants, have a really important role to play here in making sure that we are standing up for our neighbors, for our friends, for our community members," he said. "Making sure that they feel welcome here, making sure that we are combating narratives about dangerous immigrants or some of the rhetoric that has been used that is just so upsetting and so hurtful."
The role immigrants play in the Topeka education system
Over the years, the Topeka USD 501, the largest school district in Shawnee County, administrators have employed and even recruited immigrants to come to teach at their schools. About 27 countries and 39 languages are represented in the TPS school system, said Pilar Mejía, director of cultural innovation.
Because of a national teacher shortage and the ability for educators to immigrate to the U.S. on a specialty work visa H-1B visa or an exchange-based work visa J-1 visa, Topeka has recruited about 80 international educators.
Superintendent Tiffany Anderson has even purchased homes from her salary and negotiated rent prices with apartment complexes to ensure her foreign staff members get proper housing. She's also helped broker a deal with Toyota to help foreign teachers have access to less expensive vehicles.
Now in the face of potential immigration raids from ICE officers, the Kansas Department of Education and multiple school districts in the county have stated they won't give out private student information without proper legal force.
USD 501 reiterated its intent to uphold the safety and diversity of its faculty and staff in an email to The Capital-Journal.
"The evolving landscape of immigration does have a significant impact on education, and we recognize the importance of supporting both our students and educators in navigating these changes," said Aarion Gray, general director of instructional services.
The district also informed staff and families in a separate email that the district would ensure student and staff safety.
"In light of recent decisions impacting immigrant families, the Board of Education and the TPS district want to make it clear that we support our families and students who may be impacted by these decisions," the USD 501 email said. "We are committed to keeping our schools a safe place for all students and are dedicated to providing quality education to any student who walks through our doors. "We remind our community of our expectations and policies that reflect our commitment to embrace diversity and foster an inclusive community. As shared in our district's vision, we are strengthened by diversity and provide a welcoming and inclusive environment. Please know that our school staff are here to support every student.
"We encourage families and students to reach out to your principal with any questions or concerns. Together, we can ensure that every student feels safe, valued, and empowered to succeed."
Valdivia-Alcalá said immigration regulation shouldn't make children scared to go to school and that she condones KSDE's efforts to protect students.
"I think that it is commendable that the Kansas Department of Education can speak a way that says we understand what it's like to have the responsibility to care for our students," Valdivia-Alcalá said. "Children are so inundated. Young teens are so inundated with so much, with levels of violence, dysfunction in families, economic stressors that they did not ask for, and if they cannot feel safe in school, if all children cannot feel safe in school, and especially the most marginalized, then what does that say about us as the adults that are meant to protect them?"