VOICES: Immigrants are the heart of it all

Migration is a basic act of being human. Whether we came from Texas or Taiwan, Ohio is home to thousands upon thousands of migrants who had the courage and tenacity to move for a better life, looking for freedom, safety, and opportunity. Now, whether we live in the suburbs of Dayton, the city of Cleveland, or the farms of Athens, Ohioans are planting their roots and building community in this state that is more than just a place on the map — it’s “a place in people’s minds, and in their hearts.“ That’s why Ohio is known for being The Heart of it All.

But, as immigrants try to make Ohio their home, the current political climate is disrupting the natural, heartfelt joy of migration with manufactured, gut-wrenching horror. The Trump administration wants to seize even more money and control by tearing families apart and turning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a paramilitary force unleashed upon our communities. They try to spread fear and sow division based on our races, backgrounds, or genders so they can hand billionaires and corporations the wealth that our work creates — but to that we say: OH No You Don’t!

When Republican candidates started spewing lies about our Haitian friends in Springfield last fall, we came together across cities, states, and countries to collectively push back against the hate. As national solidarity poured into the city, Dayton businesses and organizers held a week-long winter clothing drive where over 210 pounds of warmth and care was donated to the Haitian-Ohioan community.

As ICE ramped up their raids on our schools, homes, and businesses, we came together to look out for our neighbors and ensure everyone knows their rights. People printed and handed out red cards to keep our communities informed and reported ICE sightings to the Ohio Immigrant Hotline (419-777-HELP) because we keep us safe.

Six jails in Ohio, including Butler County Jail, have contracts with ICE to arrest or detain immigrants who face civil deportation charges — not crimes. Meanwhile, 81 organizations and more than 2,700 Ohioans (including more than 230 from Montgomery and Greene Counties) have signed onto the Ohio Stands With Immigrants petition created by Ohio Immigrant Alliance and OPAWL — Building AAPI Feminist Leadership, calling on local officials to commit to making their municipalities a safe place for all immigrants to live, work, learn, and thrive. So many Ohioans agree that our state is made better, stronger, and more vibrant by the countless contributions of immigrants and refugees, and we will hold our elected officials accountable to protecting everyone in their community — no exceptions.

We know that it’s love that makes a family, families that make vibrant communities, and communities that make a prosperous state. That’s why no matter what divisive, fear-mongering tactics corrupt politicians and billionaires use, we are joining together to keep our families whole, make our communities thrive, and transform our state into a place of safety and justice for all, regardless of what we look like or where we come from.

It’s a scary and overwhelming time. We are all witnessing the terror that anti-immigrant Trump policies are wreaking across our communities, but we don’t have to be complicit in watching families be surveilled, harassed, and torn apart as ICE unjustly detains and deports immigrants.

So we must take it upon ourselves to be brave. Be brave in confronting ICE. Be brave in bold acts of solidarity. Be brave for your friends, be brave for your neighbors, be brave for complete strangers.

As the youngest daughter of two Taiwanese immigrants, I’ve seen firsthand the immense strength at the center of immigrant families. I’ve also seen how my community in Beavercreek welcomed us as we made Ohio our home 26 years ago. Now, I’m calling on that same community to extend that loving embrace to immigrants of all statuses and refugees of all countries.

Show the world that Ohio stands with immigrants — because immigrants are the real heart of it all.

Angela Lin is the Communications Manager at Ohio Voice and is a member of OPAWL — Building AAPI Feminist Leadership.