How a 1 Million Dollar Per Day Enforcement Endangers a Cornerstone of D.C’s Workforce: Domestic Workers
The Domestic Workers Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022, while still in its nascent era, is a powerful acknowledgment from D.C. of the Domestic Workers’ importance not just to the workforce but to at least 9,000 working families in D.C. Despite this recent recognition of Domestic Workers as vital pillars to our community, they are now facing threats to their work stability, family safety, and future in D.C.
We are nearing the alleged end of the 30-day militarized occupation of D.C., yet like a war-torn country, the shrapnels left in the wake have inflicted irreparable damage to the over 1.5million immigrants living in the D.C. metro area, with 94,000 immigrants in D.C. proper. This is not by accident, but by design. This occupation, under the guise of ridding the area of “violent crimes,” intentionally aims to remove — by violent and terror-inspiring actions — undocumented immigrants from D.C. However, in the absence of a previous removal order and unauthorized reentry, merely being an undocumented person in the United States is not a crime under federal law, let alone a violent one. And yet, this hostile takeover has led to numerous assaults, forcible removals, and deportations by a blurred amalgamation of D.C. police, military personnel, ICE agents, and masked, unidentified armed guerilla-styled operatives. Given that about 71% of Domestic Workers in D.C. are immigrants, there are few who have not been affected in some way by this federal takeover.
These hostile actions have rendered many D.C. residents prisoners of their homes for fear that such barbarous tactics may be used on them or their loved ones. Many Domestic Workers have voiced deep concerns about leaving their homes, because it could mean never coming back. The simple act of going to work is now too great a risk for many Domestic Workers. And without income, the stress multiplies. Many families of Domestic Workers are now struggling to pay their rent, feed their families, and even take their children to school. As the start of the school year approached, Domestic Workers, along with many immigrant families, had to face an impossible choice: risk their family’s safety or sacrifice their children’s education. Many chose safety, for at least the first week of school. Their fears were justified as agents appeared near or around schools in at least a daycare and elementary school in the North West area.
It’s clear that the point of this takeover is not public safety, as over half the arrests have been due to immigration status alone. The message is that immigrants are not welcome. And the strategy is to intimidate the immigrant community to such an extent that they either leave D.C. or self-deport. These actions are happening in direct opposition to the majority of D.C. residents who believe local police should not assist the federal government in deportation efforts.
If you have not already, check-in with those directly or closely connected to the immigrant community. If possible, offer practical help such as delivering food, providing rides to and from work, or organizing carpools for school drop-offs and pickups. These small acts are life saving gifts. Also, stay informed by attending town halls or reading resources like Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network’s comprehensive Immigrant Resource Guide. Share what you learn with others to build a collective strength. And finally, garner support for Joint Resolution 115, which aims to stop this federal occupation. Let’s keep D.C. a welcoming city for all.
By: Diana E. Chicas García
Immigrants in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area, American Immigration Council (2023), https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/city/washington-dc/.
DC Immigrant Population Profile, Vera Institute of Justice, (Mar. 2025), https://vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/publications/DC_Immigrant_Population_Profile.pdf.
ACLU IRP Issue Brief: Criminalizing Undocumented Immigrants, ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, (Feb. 3, 2010), https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/FINAL_criminalizing_undocumented_immigrants_issue_brief_PUBLIC_VERSION.pdf.
Sam Levin, Washington DC Daycare Workers and Parents Recount Chaos of Immigration Raids, The Guardian (Aug. 25, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/washington-dc-daycare-workers-parents-immigration-raids.
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Teo Armus, Ice is Joining D.C. Police Patrols. Moped Drivers are Getting Detained., WASH. POST (Aug. 21, 2025), https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/21/dc-police-ice-moped-crackdown-delivery-drivers/.
