In addition to not receiving donated water bottles, undocumented immigrants exposed to the Flint water crisis in Michigan are also rejecting the opportunity to be tested for lead poisoning in fear of being deported -- especially in wake of the Obama administration's recent deportation raids.

Shortly after New Years Day, the U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) targeted and apprehended 121 immigrants throughout the country, according to reports. In turn, the raids have caused widespread panic among undocumented immigrants already living in the shadows. As a result, many immigrants plagued by the Flint water fiasco will not open their doors to volunteers distributing free water bottles in fear of being deported.

Susan Reed, the managing attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), says immigrant advocates are concerned that many are refusing help from government workers distributing bottled water and crucial information about the ongoing crisis.

"We were all very worried that the uniformed people going door-to-door in Flint to distribute water and water filters, could very well be turned away by scared undocumented people, believing it was a raid," Reed told Fox News Latino.

Likewise, Deacon Paul Donnelly of St. Mary's Church says undocumented immigrants have refused assistance in order to avoid being deported.

"Some folks we've found are very nervous about being found. They want to avoid talking to any strangers," he told ABC affiliate WJRT.

Others refuse to go to water distribution centers to pick up clean water in fear that they will be asked for a driver's license and, subsequently, outed as undocumented.

This fear has also stopped undocumented residents in Flint from getting themselves and their children tested for lead poisoning. As a result, those who have been exposed to the toxic water may not get proper access to health care.

"In the long-term, we're bothered about how undocumented immigrants will access primary healthcare. What's their monitoring going to be like? What about their related health issues," Reed says. "I hope there's a plan going forward."

One Michigan for Immigrant Rights board member Samantha Magdaleno also pointed out that immigrants in risk of deportation may not get healthcare if they are sent back to their home countries. Their countries of origin may not be able to handle the health issues they developed in the U.S., she told Grist.

Meanwhile, other Latinos who don't speak English are just being made aware that the Flint water supply is contaminated with lead, despite the fact that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder advised residents to stop drinking and using the polluted water three months ago.

"Some people, who thought they knew what was going on, were boiling the water, as they believed that was enough. But of course that can't get rid of lead in the water," Reed said.

This is why Christine Sauvé of Welcoming Michigan, an organization that helps immigrants integrate in the state, says language access is crucial in immigrant communities.

"Critical information concerning water safety must be translated so all community members can protect their children and safeguard their health," she told Latin Post last week.

"It is important to create an environment that is welcoming and supportive of immigrants before a crisis happens so that all residents, including immigrants, can receive the full benefit of public services funded by their tax dollar contributions," she added.

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