Alvaro Alacon lives in Fairfax City but has worked with Arlington youth for many years including the Second Chance program. This was developed a number of years ago to give students who are found with drugs or alcohol the opportunity to attend Second Chance instead of being suspended. In addition, Alacon’s company, Impel, operates a program to mentor, provide after school activities, life skills and a model for a positive future for Arlington youth and their parents.
He knows inside the families in the community, their challenges and what is behind the statistics. Alacon says due to the current political climate the habits and patterns of everyday life in the Hispanic community have been replaced by fear of the unknown.
“It used to be that the family would go to a bunch of different stores to save money because everything is so expensive. Now a lot of families are avoiding going out, and it’s having a negative effect on an already low-income family on a tight budget.” He says, maybe before they would take the whole family to help carry groceries and do the shopping but now only the one green card holder will go and leave the mom at home who doesn’t have papers.
In addition, he explains, It is even having an impact in church, and some people are afraid to go. They have heard that ICE plans to implement their arrests at churches and schools. “Some of the Hispanic outlets are using scare tactics about the Executive orders on immigration, and they aren’t getting the full story.”
He says a family will hear free lunch and Head Start programs were cancelled, and the mom is worried. “My kids have lunch there; I don’t have enough money to provide stuff. What will I do? Then Alacon says the mom learns it is all a process and this won’t take effect.”
“But imagine their thought process. Schools are supposed to be a safe environment but they imagine ICE teams coming in, their kids are crying and holding onto desks. This is a part of their day to day.”
He says on a regular day there are a variety of reasons kids don’t go to school, and they aren’t held accountable for not showing up. Now the fear of encountering ICE at school has given them one more reason to avoid attending classes.
“It is a hostile environment. A team of ICE is sent out, all in uniforms with their radios going off, using the numbers game to intimidate. Most of the Hispanic community don’t know their American rights and feel they have to cooperate.”
Alacon says there is a lack of education around what is going on. “It is chaotic.” He explains there are active efforts being made by community groups and churches to distribute “Know Your Rights” cards and other information to immigrants. “But that process works for an established community of people you know but many of these people are not engaged in any of these community groups so they don’t get the information.
“They are intimidated. Agencies and churches are trying to help but there are a lot of skeptical people saying to each other ‘there is a catch.’ The best way to reach these people is by word of mouth from someone they know and trust who has had a positive experience.”