Immigration Talking Points

Posted on by Sharon Delgado

Nevada County: Protecting Families, Protecting Community

                       Mass deportations aren’t headlines from somewhere else—they are happening right now, tearing through neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces across America.                                        And Nevada County is not immune.

A Story From Our Backyard

Picture this: A father leaves for his shift at a local farm before sunrise. By afternoon, ICE has detained him in a raid targeting “criminals.” But he has no record. He pays taxes, he coaches Little League, his kids are U.S. citizens. That night, his 8-year-old daughter comes home to an empty house. By the next morning, her teacher notices she hasn’t shown up for class. This isn’t a one-off story. It’s happening to families like ours—in every state, in towns just like Nevada City and Grass Valley.

 This isn’t a one-off story. It’s happening to families like ours—in every state, in towns just like Nevada City and Grass Valley.

  1. Deportations Don’t Just Affect Immigrants—They Affect All of Us

    • Deportations mean empty desks in classrooms, fewer workers in our hospitals and care facilities, and vacant jobs in our fields and businesses.
    • Fear keeps people from going to the doctor, calling 911, or reporting domestic violence. That puts the whole community at risk.
    • When a family is torn apart, the trauma ripples: kids in crisis, teachers stretched thin, churches scrambling to support grieving families, neighbors left to pick up the pieces.

Flip the script: Deportations aren’t “law and order.” They are chaos and harm—spreading instability across entire communities.

  1. Immigrants Are Not Outsiders—They Are Us

    • They are the farmworkers who grow our food, the caregivers who tend our elders, the small business owners paying rent on Main Street.
    • Many are U.S. citizens in mixed-status families, veterans, or students working toward college degrees.
    • Immigrants are Nevada County: parents, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.

Flip the script: This isn’t “us vs. them.” There is no “them.” It’s only us.

  1. Deportations Are Built on Lies

    • The Myth: “They broke the law.”
    • The Truth: Immigration law is among the most complex areas of U.S. law, often compared to tax code. Many people are waiting years for their cases to be processed—cases that could give them legal status. Deportations punish people for delays and barriers our own government created.
    • The Myth: “They take jobs.”
    • The Truth: Immigrants keep our local economy running. Without them, small farms collapse, local businesses shut down, and prices rise for everyone.
    • The Myth: “It’s about safety.”
    • The Truth: Deportations make us less safe, silencing crime victims and witnesses, and eroding trust in law enforcement.

  1. Due Process Is an American Promise

    • The Constitution doesn’t say “only for citizens.” It says no person shall be deprived of liberty without due process.
    • If we allow government to shred those rights for immigrants, we make it easier to strip them away from anyone.

Flip the script: Protecting immigrant rights protects everyone’s rights.

  1. The Costs Are Too High—for Families and for All of Us

    • Over 4 million U.S. citizen children live in mixed-status households. But it’s not just kids: workers, patients, small business owners, and veterans are all being caught in the dragnet.
    • Deportations don’t save money—they cost taxpayers billions. Meanwhile, local schools and nonprofits are left scrambling to cover trauma services and family support.
    • The emotional toll is immeasurable. A deportation isn’t just a legal act—it’s a wound that bleeds through entire communities.

  1. What Nevada County Can Do

✅ Declare Nevada County a safe & welcoming community that will not voluntarily cooperate with ICE.
✅ Ensure schools, hospitals, and public institutions remain ICE-free zones.
✅ Fund legal defense and rapid response networks so no family faces deportation alone.
✅ Publicly condemn mass deportations as an attack on families and communities.

  1. What You Can Do

    • At Home: Talk to your family. Share the truth. Challenge scapegoating.
    • At Work or School: Speak up when you hear harmful stereotypes. Remind people—immigrants are our coworkers, classmates, and customers.
    • In Public: Show up at City Council, School Board, and community meetings. Demand policies that protect families.
    • With Neighbors: Offer everyday sanctuary—give rides, check in on families, refuse to let fear isolate people.
    • Support Networks: Donate or volunteer with legal defense groups like NILRA, rapid response hotlines, or local immigrant-led organizations.

Bottom Line: This is not about politics—it’s about people.  

 Deportations don’t make us stronger. They tear at the fabric of our communities. Nevada County can and must be a place where families stay together, where rights are protected, and where neighbors look out for one another.

Silence is complicity. Speaking out is protection. Acting together is survival.