WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A pair of congressional Democrats spent Friday morning in West Palm Beach discussing the widespread impact of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies on Palm Beach County communities.
WATCH: Democrats, local leaders meet on immigration impact
Representative Lois Frankel and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark met with immigration advocates, local government leaders, clergy members and other community stakeholders to address concerns about how immigration enforcement affects not just immigrant families, but the entire Palm Beach County community.
"This immigration policy of the administration is an abomination. It's got to change," Frankel told WPTV after the roundtable event.
"This is a moment of true danger for the American people and for our country and our democracy," Clark said.
The lawmakers reacted to the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration authorities in Minneapolis, calling for the resignation or impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and additional reforms to immigration enforcement.
"If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere in this country," Clark said, adding that Democrats are using the minimal tools at their disposal as the minority party to affect change. "We are going to continue to seek the removal of Kristi Noem from her position, to insist on these guardrails as a way to make sure that you know we have them in place before we fund DHS. And we are going to continue with our coordinated litigation."
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During the roundtable, immigration advocates and faith leaders shared stories of community members living in fear. Pastor Rae Whitley described many of his congregants as "people who are constantly living in trauma and fear."
Mariana Blanco, director of operations for the Guatemalan-Maya Center, explained how her organization has had to expand services and raise additional funds to help families separated by enforcement actions.
"We've done family reunification, something we've never had to do in the past, where we are now helping children who are left behind because their parents have been detained," Blanco said.
Blanco told the story of a local family whose 20-year-old daughter is running the landscaping business and supporting her younger siblings after both of their parents were detained.
She also spoke about the center assisting a local father who is struggling to care for his 1-month-old infant alone. Blanco said the baby's mother was detained during a scheduled check-in for her pending immigration case, leaving the baby unable to nurse.
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A representative from the Florida Immigrant Coalition noted that when children are sent abroad to reunite with their deported parents, "Those are actually American children going into exile."
Palm Beach County officials discussed the broader economic impact of immigration enforcement on the community. County Commissioner Joel Flores highlighted labor shortages affecting local businesses.
"I speak to a lot of large construction companies, large farmers out there, and what we're seeing is they don't have enough labor force right now. There's a massive shortage," Flores said.
School Board member Virginia Savietto reported significant drops in student attendance.
"We did a 10-day, 11-day student count [at the beginning of the school year], and we were missing 6,000 students," Savietto said. "It's money that we are not getting, which could have gone to teachers' pay."
"Palm Beach County is considered the belly of the beast," Frankel told WPTV. "Where the president comes in, every week, literally thousands of people here are being impacted. Families disrupted. Businesses disrupted. The stories we heard are so heartbreaking."
WPTV reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for response to the criticism raised during the roundtable but have not received a reply.
However, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on social media Friday afternoon crediting mass deportations for lower housing prices in Southern California, writing, "You'll see more of this."
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