That's the question we explored at our latest State of Opportunity live event.
We had a full house at the Cook Library Center in Grand Rapids on Thursday for "Stories From the Shadows." The evening included personal stories from undocumented immigrants living in Grand Rapids as well as a panel discussion about the most pressing issues facing that community.
State of Opportunity reporter Dustin Dwyer moderated the conversation with our three panelists:
- Leticia Huesties, Grand Rapids Administrative Relief Coordinator for Michigan United
- Gema Lowe, organizer with the Workers Center of Grand Rapids
- Susan Reed, managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
The conversation covered the rights of undocumented employees in the workplace, the relationship between immigrant communities and law enforcement, as well as how families are impacted by the heated political debate over immigration in America.
Click above to listen to the full event. You can also listen to State of Opportunity's hour-long documentary exploring the lives of undocumented immigrants in Michigan here.