As nearly 100 runners laced up for a 5K race in support of refugees, attorney Jaime McGuire has been running her own race. A legal sprint to help immigrants from sudden deportation amid an intensifying federal enforcement.
The runners gathered at Rivers Edge North on a hot, muggy June morning, stretching, laughing and pinning on race bibs for Commonwealth Catholic Charities’ “Spring into Action 5K Run for Refugees.†Some came with strollers, others with their dogs, but all came with purpose to help the mission of refugee resettlement.
McGuire’s race is urgent, unfolding in offices and courtroom walls. She works tirelessly on the legal frontlines, and the clock is always ticking.
McGuire is managing attorney at Amaryllis Law in Salem. Her firm handles cases nationwide. She says she’s seeing a sharp increase in the number of undocumented immigrants being detained and deported — especially those with old removal orders often due to missed court dates or denied claims.
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Jaime McGuire, immigration attorney at Amaryllis Law in Salem, is pictured at the office on Feb. 5.
“Someone may be detained at the beginning of the week, and they will be already removed by the middle of the week,†McGuire said. “That provides very, very little room to do a motion to reopen once someone is detained.â€
At Casa Latina, a nonprofit serving hundreds of Spanish speakers in the Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø Valley, the lights are off more often. Programs once filled with the sounds of children learning English, parents in nutrition classes, and families connecting culturally are now on hold.
“We continue to talk to people who live in fear,†said José Bañuelos-Montes, president of Casa Latina and an associate professor at Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø College.
“People are fearful of attending a court date, an immigration appointment,†he said, “because they see in social media and in the news in other parts of the United States where immigrants go to an immigration appointment, and then suddenly they are picked up.â€
Despite the fear, McGuire urges individuals to come forward and seek legal help. “We’re still encouraging individuals to have hope and to continue applying for applications, because that’s the only way that they’ll be protected.â€
Fear and resilience
Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø last winter became the first Virginia city to earn a Certified Welcoming designation for supporting immigrants and refugees. Yet despite this honor, many, even those here legally, live in fear as President Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations unfold in larger cities.
Casa Latina lost key funding, including a major Virginia Department of Health grant in March, according to Montes, forcing the nonprofit it to shut down many of its programs. But even before the cuts, fear had already diminished attendance.
José Bañuelos-Montes, president of Casa Latina, addresses an English Learner class on Feb. 5 about knowing their rights as immigrants.
“They want to go to work and come back home, they are willing to risk it all, but they’re not willing to risk it if they have to go to an after school program or a workshop,†he said.
Still, signs of resilience remain. Casa Latina will host its annual Latino Health Fair on Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local health care providers, kids’ activities and community resources.
“We still want to keep that center of attraction, of community, that people see us as a place where they can come and feel safe and enjoy the activities,†Montes said.
Beyond canceled classes and declining attendance, the emotional toll has been deep. Montes says national news of ICE arrests leaves his community feeling isolated and afraid.
Montes urges the broader Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø community to show support by attending events like the Health Fair, donating, volunteering and simply offering understanding.
Beyond the finish line
When the final runners crossed the finish line at Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø’s Run for Refugees, the real race was just beginning for volunteers eager to support those fleeing war, persecution and hardship.
Racers depart from River’s Edge Park during the Spring into Action 5K Run for Refugees, hosted by Commonwealth Catholic Charities on June 21.
Katie Dillon, Commonwealth Catholic Charities’ communications manager, emphasized that despite widespread confusion and misinformation, refugees are legally admitted to the U.S.
“Refugees are here because the United States invited them here. They are legally here,†Dillon said. “But there is just sort of a fear, given the rhetoric right now, and so I think that’s really tragic that anyone in our society who we’ve invited to come is afraid to leave their house.â€
A community filled with motivation is exactly what CCC had hoped to inspire. As an affiliate of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and nonprofit that serves throughout Virginia, CCC faces significant challenges due to recent federal funding cuts and shifting immigration laws.
Since earlier this year, the organization has been forced to lay off and furlough employees, disrupting services that once welcomed hundreds of new refugees annually.
Still, CCC continues to walk alongside the nearly 350 refugees who arrived before the halt — supporting them with job readiness training, cultural orientation, medical navigation and citizenship classes.
The organization is now exploring ways to expand its support for immigrants, offering services like school liaison work, helping with things like language barriers, medical interpretation, and cultural orientation to a broader immigrant population.
Volunteers and donations — both monetary and household — are vital to CCC’s mission. The organization especially needs mentors to help with everyday tasks like using public transit, grocery shopping and college prep.
Marnie Mills, a mission advancement associate for CCC said she was thrilled to receive emails after the Run for Refugees from people wanting to volunteer to help with resettlement.
“I think it is special to see that Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø really is a welcoming city,†Mills said.
