HERMISTON — Hermiston’s Hispanic Advisory Committee is working with a lawyer to help inform immigrant community members about their rights and protections, regardless of their status.

Alberto Munoz, chair of the Hispanic Advisory Committee, said immigration “has definitely come to the forefront as far as one of the top issues communicated by the Hispanic community.” So the committee partnered with Eamonn Roach, an immigration lawyer based in Pasco, to host an immigration resource fair Feb. 16 at the Hermiston Community Center.

Roach has been a immigration law expert since the 1980s, following in the footsteps of his father, who was an immigrant lawyer.

The fair aimed to provide immigrant workers, students and families with the tools and resources to understand the latest immigration laws and policies affecting their daily lives.

Roach said educating immigrant residents about how the law works and distinguishing departments — such as state police compared to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — will better prepare them in case they come across federal enforcement agents. Understanding these differences is especially important in Oregon and Washington, both sanctuary states, where police won’t ask about a person’s immigrant status, Roach added.

The No. 1 piece of advice Roach gives is to remain silent and exercise one’s Fifth Amendment right.

“They have no motivation to be detained or to break the law because you end up in jail and that’s typically when you get deported,” Roach said. “That’s not what most people are trying to do. Most people are here to work, take care of their kids and family and obey the law.”

Roach said he’s spoken to individuals who have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years, have no criminal issues, are married to a U.S. citizen and have U. S. citizen children. These individuals could qualify for a green card through the Immigration Court.

However, the immigration court process is so lengthy, discretionary and backlogged that individuals wait for five, six, 10 years for a court date. By and large, Roach said, we’re waiting for a change in the law for comprehensive immigration reform.

News outlets on Feb. 25 began reporting President Donald Trump plans to introduce a new visa to attract wealthy foreigners to the U.S., calling it a “gold card.” For $5 million, people will be able to apply to become lawful permanent residents. Trump said the gold card program would launch in two weeks.

If the program is put in place, it would fast track the process for the extremely wealthy, potentially undermining the efforts of the working-class immigrants nationwide who have been waiting for their chance to become citizens.

In addition, Trump’s recent push for ICE to increase arrests has raised growing concerns that enforcement operations may expand into sensitive areas, such as schools, universities, churches, hospitals and work places.

Roach said ICE has a daily quota of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests, a figure that would triple the Biden’s administration average of 310 detentions per day in 2024. While he described the task as “impossible” he noted it would require expanding the operation’s reach and casting a wider net.

For now, Roach said immigration raids are targeting individuals already in the system. Most of those being detained have cases pending in immigration court from the previous administration.

These individuals had court dates, were allowed to depart on their own recognizance, had bonds and were released on parole while awaiting their court hearings, Roach added.

“ What Trump is trying to do is demonstrate that he is trying to keep his promise of solving the immigration situation,” Roach said. “And so with that, he is starting with the lowest hanging fruit to try to detain people.”

Although most immigrant enforcement operations have stayed in major cities, immigrants – including those in Umatilla and Morrow counties — worry that ICE raids may, at some point, spread beyond urban areas.

Munoz said the word “quota” in relation to arrest evokes worry. However, the committee is working with city councilors and community-based organization leaders to communicate with Latino residents, ensuring that reports of ICE sightings are credible, helping to prevent fear and anxiety in the community.

“We’re trying our best to continue to help the Hispanic community in any way we can,” Munoz said. “We do know that it’s going to be a mission that will evolve over time, not just focusing on immigration , just any issues that affect our community here in Hermiston, but also even surrounding communities. We want everyone to know that our goal here is to help.”

Roach said he plans to host another Immigration Resource Fair in March. He offers presentations in person and occasionally on Zoom.