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'It breaks my heart' | Md. locals volunteer to assist undocumented immigrants in need

Sanctuary DMV held a training session for local volunteers Wednesday night at Christ Congregational Church in Silver Spring.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — As outrage over the treatment of immigrants at the US-Mexico border continues to increase, locals in the DMV are doing their best to help undocumented immigrants who live in the region.

A volunteer group named Sanctuary DMV has been working to train locals as to how they can help immigrants deal with everything from ICE check-ins to court appointments. The group's work in the DMV dates back before President Donald Trump's presidency.

"Anyone who cares about their neighbors, anyone who cares about what their neighbors are going through, would be interested in this work," Sanctuary DMV organizer Brandon Wu said.

Mary Shomon volunteers as a part of Sanctuary DMV's "Rapid Response" team. She assists immigrant families that experience ICE raids.

RELATED: From the sanctuary of a Bethesda church, an immigrant said she doesn't fear ICE raids

She said the recent pictures that have appeared of detained immigrant children at the border motivates her to assist local families in need.

"It breaks my heart," Shomon said. "I am the adoptive mother of a fifteen-year-old son from Guatemala and every time I see those pictures I can see the face of my own son when he was a baby."

Liz Proctor is another community members who volunteers her time with Sanctuary DMV. She said she hopes the group can make a major impact in the region in the near future.

"I hope that five years from now I can say that our community mobilized to defend our neighbors," she said.

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