‘Undocumented’ Irish staying calm despite Trump's immigration clamp-down

After one week in office, US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at clamping down on immigration — but the 50,000 “undocumented” Irish are not panicking.

“Those who have been here a long time are wiser than to have a knee-jerk reaction to the rhetoric,” said Orla Kelleher, executive director of the Aisling Irish Community Centre in New York.

“We understand people are somewhat anxious, but we don’t want people to overreact without the correct facts about these executive orders he’s signing.

“We urge people not to panic. We understand phase one of his plan is to deal with those undocumented [immigrants] who have a criminal record,” she told the Irish Examiner.

Ms Kelleher said immigration reform has been spoken about in the US for years, and despite what might have looked like tangible progress at first, nothing concrete has ever happened.

“The truth is nothing has happened over the last three decades to reform immigration in the US, that’s through the presidencies of Obama and Bush,” she said.

“These executive orders [that Mr Trump has signed] can be challenged in the courts.”

The Aisling Centre, which is based in Yonkers, New York, has been a refuge for the Irish since it first opened in 1996.

“Our main focus at the Aisling Centre has always been the welfare of the undocumented Irish here,” said Ms Kelleher, who is originally from Co Kerry.

“We have two full-time social workers who provide individual counselling to people who have anxieties in relation to immigration and all other issues.

“We have a Mind Yourself Programme. The undocumented cannot get health insurance here, the same way they cannot get a driving licence.”

Ms Kelleher took part in a day-long meeting with similar Irish-immigrant organisations earlier this month in the Irish embassy in New York.

“We had a day-long meeting to discuss what may be possible for the 50,000 undocumented Irish here and for the future flow. We were discussing what was possible and how we (as a group of Irish organisations) can best help,” she said.

While she said that the Aisling Centre has a strong community spirit, fuelled by 50 volunteers and an active Facebook group of 14,000 people, life can be hard for an undocumented immigrant.

“I always say you can live a relatively normal life here as an undocumented [immigrant] but it doesn’t mean you don’t dread that call from home to say your mum or dad has died. I know people who, when they see a number coming up from home and depending on the hour, they answer it with dread.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will visit the White House on St Patrick’s Day and meet with Mr Trump to discuss “priorities and concerns”.

“My hope is that the Irish Government will avail of every opportunity to advocate on behalf of the undocumented. There are about 50,000 undocumented Irish across the United States and 20,000 of those, I would estimate, are in New York. They would work in construction, bars, and restaurants, or caring for children or the elderly,” said Ms Kelleher.

“You have to be hopeful. Nothing has happened over the last three decades but maybe the new president is adapting a phased approach starting with the deportation of the undocumented immigrants with criminal records first. I hope he wouldn’t take a cold-hearted approach to undocumented immigrants with families though.”