“ The level of fear and trauma among the families that we serve is unrecognizable to me from any prior experience.”
“ The level of fear and trauma among the families that we serve is unrecognizable to me from any prior experience.”
— Jennifer Wood, attorney and executive director of the Rhode Island Center for Justice
that we’ re cutting these things senselessly. That makes me very worried.”
Andraly Horn and Sienna Viette, who produce food at their Open fArms Retreat in Cumberland, were in the midst of planting for distribution to a federally funded Woonsocket food program that had been reauthorized for the next three years when their funding was cut.
“ That funding is no longer there, which means our program can no longer continue and we don’ t have an outlet for selling our food, so we are switching to selling wholesale and hoping it will go through soon,” says Viette.
The immigrant community in Rhode Island, which makes up 14.6 percent of the state’ s population and 16.7 percent of the labor force, has been paralyzed by the current wave of high-profile United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that have indiscriminately swept up U. S. citizens and legal residents along with those lacking permanent legal status.
Milagro Sique, chief operating officer of Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, which assists about 6,000 clients per year with immigration and refugee-related services, has been fielding questions from community members:“ Should I apply for citizenship? For this benefit? Is this going to impact me in the future?” she says.“ It’ s true fear about how to meet their basic needs, how to live in this world. People are shutting in and staying home— they’ re not going
MASTERFUL CRAFTSMANSHIP
EXPERT IN-HOUSE DESIGN
NO FINANCIAL SURPRISES
MERIDIAN
MERIDIANCUSTOMHOMES. COM
Design Build
866-455-6806
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I AUGUST 2025 59