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Annette Martínez Orabona, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Puerto Rico, said Wednesday that the government of Puerto Rico has to adopt a public policy on the issue of immigration, as a consequence of the interventions of federal authorities with immigrants, a product of executive orders by President Donald Trump.
“And this policy must include, number one, the recognition of the fundamental rights of all migrants,” Martínez said at a press conference attended by spokespersons from community and human rights organizations. “Number two, the guarantee of public services from the state that should not be denied to any person regardless of their immigration status. And this includes medical, hospital, educational and any other services provided by the state. No official, no official should request information about the immigration status of people who are going to the state to receive services.”
“We also demand that the state recognize and protect safe spaces or sanctuary places where state, municipal and federal public security authorities should not enter, should not intervene,” she added.
Martínez Orabona said they will work on a draft of a bill to present to the Legislative Assembly.
The human rights attorney and ACLU executive director said that in addition to providing legal assistance to immigrants, the organization will also seek to provide education for minors.
“Yes, we have different initiatives,” Martínez Orabona said. “One of the areas in which we are preparing is specifically the protection of schools. We also have workshops for families who are part of the school community, and we are also developing, together with community organizations that already provide support and are within the community, to create support groups and escorts in cases where children need to go to school with a person other than their parents, because they could be in danger of a possible intervention.”
Another of the announced actions was the so-called “voceteo” (sound-producing buses), which will go through communities offering guidance on civil rights.
“We are closely monitoring the policies that the Government of Puerto Rico is adopting, and specifically in the area of education, because our Constitution, unlike others, recognizes the fundamental right of all our children to receive public education,” Martínez Orabona said. “Therefore, the fact that state officials and school officials follow guidelines that limit the possibility of these children receiving public education in a safe manner could be a violation of their constitutional right. Therefore, no state official should follow orders that clearly put fundamental rights such as the right to education at risk.”
