As political leaders in Washington battle over the future of immigration law and border security, immigrants around the country to feeling the stress of an uncertain future and the fear of arrest and deportation. Brooke Mead, director of the Berkshire Immigrant Center in Pittsfield, says that in her 16 years of working with immigrant populations, "It's definitely the most fearful I have seen people." Mead says Berkshire County is "a welcoming community" for immigrants, but on the national level, she has "never seen such anti-immigrant rhetoric."

In this edition of the Berkshire Eagle podcast, host Mark Mills speaks with Brooke Mead about immigration issues in the U.S. and the need to welcome and invest in the immigrant population of Berkshire County.