Bostonians are speaking out against President Trump's executive orders on immigration, which block federal funding for sanctuary cities that protect immigrants, as well as jumpstarting construction of a wall on the Mexican border.
Cairo Mendes came to this country with a secret.
He said, “From the get-go I was told not to tell anyone that I was undocumented. It was always a secret in the family.”
It was a secret the immigrant from Brazil no longer had to keep, thanks to deferred action. But it’s protection the senior at UMass Boston is worried he could lose.
He said, “It’s dangerous to know that. It’s scary to know that there’s someone out there that’s saying all these things.”
He fears the actions from President Trump could put not only him at risk, but also his mother, who is still here illegally.
It’s why they’re also getting ready to protest at demonstrations like one that happened in East Boston Thursday morning.
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Protester Cata Santiago said, “Our community needs more. We need permanent protection, something that can’t be taken away.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Marty Walsh is speaking out against Trump’s orders.
At a press conference Wednesday, he said, "I want everyone to just get a good picture of behind me today. This is America, who's behind me," the mayor said. "Many immigrants who work for the City of Boston, and many first-generation Americans who work for the City of Boston, who are proud of their heritage and where they come from."
And while the president’s plans for immigrants like Cairo are still largely unknown, Mendes says it’s no secret he will fight back.
He said, “We’re here. We’re ready to defend ourselves to protect ourselves at all costs.”
