Documenting Deportation: Where there is oppression,there is resistance

Immigration policies have subjected the immigrant community to a life of fear. The historical growth of Mexican American communities is important to understand the conflicting views on immigration. Particularly in light of the recent intensification of xenophobia and nationalism, a coercive regime has subjected immigrant communities to enhanced scrutiny and the risk of deportation. The Documenting Deportation Database is a result of an international partnership between librarians, archivists, scholars, and students. The database documents incidences of arrest and deportation occurring in the United States since the new administration was installed on January 21, 2017, for a period of one year. My work included contextualizing Trump-era immigration policies by comparing them to policies of previous presidential administrations and analyzing the use of rhetoric and emotional impact it has had on documented and undocumented communities. The main themes include detention centers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), non-criminal arrests, sanctuary cities, workers’ rights, and health care for the undocumented. However, my focus has been on community response and resistance on many levels, primarily that of young activists who are essential in creating change. By documenting the experience of individuals and the impact migration has had on their family, community, and personal life we can provide an understanding of the consequences and responses of living under a government with an outdated immigration act. The numerous people being directly and indirectly affected are not just numbers on a census, there are livelihoods at stake. The archive provides a timeline that refers to individual stories, policy change, and mobilization & organization from community activists, also as a way of providing future generations with the necessary tools and motivation to change for the better. This archive will work to challenge negative views of migration by exemplifying the humanitarian crisis that immigrant communities face