ICE activity raises local concern INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A community breakfast at the Jewel Event Center in Indianapolis brought people together who have growing concerns about federal immigration activity in cities far from the U.S. border. The breakfast, hosted by the Interdenominational M inisterial Alliance, created space for people who say they’re fearful of what’s to come. Local attorney and immigrant Karla Lopez-Owens says people are afraid to leave their homes or hesitant to go to school or work. She says people are relying on help from the community. “Whether it’s emergency grocery store delivery service, whether it’s being on standby to take in a pet or a child in case a parent is taken in without due process, taken in and deported,” said Lopez-Owens. Jonathan Onuorah, who immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, says immigrants are crucial to the economy of the city and deserve respect. “Immigrants do the jobs nobody wants to do. They are important to the community and they need support, because they come here empty handed and they work for themselves,” said Onuorah. Attendees questioned how federal immigration enforcement fits into a city already served by multiple local law enforcement agencies. While law enforcement agencies do work together on some cases, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, a democrat, stressed it’s important for agencies to build trust within their communities, and that nobody is above the law, even U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.“The best ways to deter unreasonable behavior is to prosecute people, but we can only do that if we have the strength of the people behind us,” Mears said. Community leaders told people that even if they’re not directly affected by ICE, they’re encouraged to ‘be a witness’ and document interactions without getting involved. The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance president, Lionel Thomas Rush, says communities of color need to particularly be cautious. “To surge them into inner city activities, they don’t know the people. They don’t know it’s history. Know your rights. Stay out of environments as much as possible until this tide changes that makes you vulnerable.” ...read more read less