For many immigrant families, the fear of deportation looms over every aspect of daily life, from parent-teacher conferences to driving a car to looking for work—especially as the Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement efforts.

On his first day in office, President Trump signed a series of immigration-related executive orders that included an expedited mass expulsion policy, the suspension of immigrant entry along the U.S.-Mexico border, an increase in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE) officers around the country and more. Here in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring all of the state’s 67 counties to allow local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration violations as part of their routine duties.

C.J. Czaia is an attorney and a co-founder of UnidosNow, which provides educational programs, legal assistance and other support for Hispanic and Latino residents. He has dedicated much of his life to advocating for immigrant rights and has seen firsthand the challenges faced by immigrant families in Sarasota and Manatee counties, where Hispanic and Latino residents make up roughly 11 percent and 18 percent of the population, respectively.

Czaia was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to a Nicaraguan mother and an American father who was a Foreign Service officer, and his early years were spent in Africa and Latin America. He began his law career in the public defender’s office, and while he initially focused on criminal law, he later expanded his practice to personal injury law. Today, he owns Czaia Law Group, which has offices in Minnesota and throughout Florida, including in Bradenton. Czaia is also a former chair of the Manatee County Democratic Party, and has run for Congress and for seats in the Florida Legislature.

Czaia recently spoke with Sarasota Magazine about the nation’s ongoing immigration crackdown and what local immigrant families are going through. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What role do immigrants play in Florida’s economy?

“Our economy would collapse without these workers. But instead of properly enforcing E-Verify [a federal program that requires private employers with 25 or more employees to verify employment eligibility for new hires], companies split into multiple smaller companies to skirt the system.

“If you really want to stop illegal hiring, jail the people who [do this]. You don’t need the military at the border. We used to have the greatest economy because of immigration. Congress has failed to pass meaningful immigration reform since Reagan. We need workers—roofers, landscapers, cooks. Many people would love to come here, work and go home [to their families at the end of the day]. Why don’t we pass laws to facilitate that? Congress refuses to fix the problem because it’s politically beneficial to keep it broken.”

What are you hearing from local Latino families? Are they afraid?

“They’re panicking. The last time Trump was running for office, I was
in Minnesota speaking at a church, and Latino families were living in terror, worried their children would be taken away.

“[Last year,] I represented Francisco Diaz-Burgos, an autistic Latino kid in Holmes Beach. Police tased him and arrested his father for driving without papers. The officer played judge and jury instead of enforcing the law fairly.

“Being here without papers or overstaying a visa is not a crime. If you are deported and sneak back in, that is a federal crime. If you’re going to call something a crime, give these people their constitutional rights—a lawyer and a trial. But that’s not what happens, because immigration violations are administrative, not criminal. Republicans exploit this, and Democrats fail to educate the public on it.”

What happens to children who are U.S. citizens but have undocumented parents?

“Trump wants to deport entire families, even children who are U.S. citizens. I don’t know how he can legally justify that. Kids who stay would become wards of the state or rely on other family members. It’s inhumane. Even when you follow the rules, immigration is a mess. If a U.S. citizen petitions for their sibling, it takes 10-20 years [for them to earn legal status]. We’ve created a system that forces people to break the law just to survive.

“The government also announced that recipients of DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a national policy created to offer temporary protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children] can’t receive in-state tuition for college. That’s cruel and backward. These kids are here whether you like it or not. The reason politicians try to block their education is that once they’re educated, they’ll get a voice, vote and speak out. Politicians want them silenced instead.”

What role can UnidosNow play in all this?

“It’s primarily an education organization. If UnidosNow became too political, we’d lose funding. Our focus is empowerment.

“Hispanics are religious, but prayer must come with action. We pray for the strength to make change. Education is power. It’s not about making money—that’s just a byproduct. It’s about having a seat at the table.”

What rights do businesses have when it comes to ICE?

“My advice? Stay quiet. The government knows mass deportations would destroy the economy.”

Are local immigrants avoiding churches and schools out of fear of ICE?

“Of course. But my message is: Don’t panic. ICE doesn’t have the resources to conduct mass sweeps. There are only about 40,000 detention beds nationwide. Unless Trump mobilizes the Army, he can’t do what he’s threatening. He’d have to declare martial law. The infrastructure isn’t there. ICE was focused on prosecuting real criminals under Biden. Trump would have to overhaul the entire
system to implement his plan.”

The Latino community is diverse. Do you think these policies will unify or further divide Hispanic groups?

“The truth is that there’s no single Hispanic race. It’s a fusion of cultures. We have one flag here: the stars and stripes. That’s what we should all rally around. But our biggest problem is that Latinos don’t always work together. We have to work together to make it work.”

Where do we go from here?

“Education can overcome bias. I spent seven years in different parts of Africa. I’ve seen how learning changes people’s perspectives. In Minnesota, I’m considered conservative. Here, I’m a communist.

“We need to wake up. ‘Woke’ just means being educated about the truth. America was founded on racism—it’s in our founding documents. A Native American wasn’t human. A Black man was three-fifths of a person. Women were property. Our country was built by rich white men, and not much has changed. Until we admit that, we can’t fix it.”

Our interview series “In Their Own Words” is brought to you by Gulf Coast Community Foundation.