This week, we heard from Lisa Varnier, a retired attorney from Blue Cross Blue Shield, a former assistant Oakland County prosecutor, and a current board member of El Centro Multicultural/La Familia. For the past 15 years, she has been supporting Pontiac’s immigrant community and sharing “red cards,” along with explaining what they are and how they are used. She also talked about the several types of green cards and visas, the difference between naturalized and birthright citizenship, the status of DACA, and the sensitive issues surrounding ICE.
Lisa also answered many questions from the group. One clear takeaway was that Pontiac’s large Hispanic community remains especially vulnerable to attention from ICE agents.