This story was originally produced by WBUR. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the New England News Collaborative.
In the office of a nonprofit in Framingham, a 4-year-old girl swiped at a phone while two women leaned over a desk to examine a legal form they hope they'll never need.
Amid mounting immigration enforcement in communities across the state, the girl’s mother decided to take a precaution and designate a family friend as caregiver for her and her sister.
“We don't know what might happen to us, what might happen to our children,” said the mom, who WBUR is identifying only as L because she fears immigration police.
“That's why I came to complete this form, so that someone I know can be responsible for my daughters if something happens to me or my husband," she said in Portuguese.
Advocates say a growing number of immigrants are seeking ways to grant privileges to family or friends willing to care for their children in case families are separated. One way to do that is by assigning a caregiver, a state-designated status that remains in place for two years.
The mother was joined at the Brazilian-American Center by her friend, a U.S. citizen who agreed to take on the role. Two other friends came as witnesses. All four presented IDs to a notary at the center, then signed a caregiver authorization affidavit. The designated friend took the form home for safekeeping.
Caregivers are permitted to take the kids into their homes and make decisions on their behalf regarding education and health care. That’s distinct from guardianship, a more permanent form of custody granted by a judge that overrides parental rights, according to Heather Arroyo, an immigration attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
“The caregiver affidavit is a good option for a lot of people, because as a parent, you're not giving up any of your rights when you sign it,” Arroyo said, adding that parents can end the authorization at any time.
Arroyo's organization is among a host of nonprofit groups encouraging immigrants to consider designating caregiver status. The group published a "family preparedness packet" that addresses steps to prepare for possible separation.
Without a caregiver in place, the deportation of parents could lead minor children into state custody and foster care. And getting the state to return a child — even to a trusted family member — can be complicated and costly. Navigating the courts from another country adds more hurdles, said Jillian Phillips, a social worker and immigration advocate in Worcester.
“It's already challenging enough when you're trying to coordinate family court and child protection work,” Phillips said. “But to then try and add in this immigration piece — especially right now — that’s pretty chaotic.”
Phillips said families should take every step possible to avoid the "labyrinth of systems" that includes family court, immigration court, and state agencies like the Department of Children and Families.
"And at this time, the best protection that we have against that is to fill out these caregiver affidavits," Phillips said.
'The immigration pandemic'
Under the first Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security separated thousands of children from their parents, leading to years of litigation and orders to reunite families. Now some advocates are preparing for similar circumstances.
Concerns flared as ICE agents stormed Massachusetts in May, arresting nearly 1,500 people. At the Brazilian-American Center, demand for caregiver affidavits jumped through the month — in one week, the group helped 74 families complete the paperwork.
Researchers estimate as many as 350,000 Brazilians live in Massachusetts, more than double the official Census figure. That makes Brazilians the largest immigrant group in the state. And many live in Framingham.
Liliane Costa, executive director of the center, said the state of panic in the Brazilian community — with some people leaving the house only for essential business — reminds her of a lockdown.
“I have a friend who said: ‘We had the COVID-19 pandemic and now we have the immigration pandemic,’ ” she recounted.
Some local Brazilians seem to be preparing to leave the U.S. entirely. Costa said one frequently requested form allows people returning to Brazil to enter the country without paying taxes on their belongings.
“This document is the only way I can tell you a lot of people are going back,” Costa said, “because they only ask for this when they are moving.”
Isolation and fear
Amid the ramp-up in immigration arrests, Saint Tarcisius Parish decided to call off its Festa Junina, a Brazilian festival that regularly draws upward of 10,000 people each year. The only other time Festa Junina was cancelled was during the COVID pandemic, according to the church’s pastor, Jairo Guidini.
Guidini said in Spanish that he didn’t think ICE would conduct a raid at a festival, “but I can’t take the fear out of people’s hearts.”
Another group, Downtown Framingham Inc., cancelled its annual Springfest event in May.
“There are kids, 10 or 12 years old, taking medication” for anxiety, Guidini said. “They’re afraid their parents will leave the house and never return.”
For Guidini, that’s what’s driving many Brazilians to assign caregivers. L, the woman who recently made that decision, said her family members no longer leave the house together.
“If I go out, my husband stays home,” she said, with the kids. “If my husband goes out, I stay with them.”
L hopes they never face the nightmare of separation. But at least now she has faith that her children would be cared for — and her friend would ultimately reunite the family.
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