A conversation about immigrants in Delaware and the American Dream came to Lewes Wednesday.
The Delaware Division of Human Relations aims to encourage dialogue about reducing discrimination through this and other discussions its holding across the state.
Delaware Hispanic Commission Chairman Javier Torrijos participated in Wednesday’s event.
He’s concerned about the impact anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Trump administration is having locally. He said immigrants in Delaware are afraid to interact with government officials. He also said it's causing some local business owners to lose money because immigrants are staying home.
“Less likely to report a crime, less likely to apply for a Driving Privilege Card, less likely to report a bullying incident at their school," he said. "It has an impact on our community, it has an impact on the reporting of crime. I think it has a major impact on the community.”
The state Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing Driving Privilege Cards in December 2015 to undocumented residents of any nationality.
Torrijos adds that while there’s been tension in Georgetown between the immigrant and non-immigrant communities there, a lot of improvement have been made in those relationships.
