Two years ago, making his way to a Pine Street Inn meeting, Father Frank Kelley caught his heel on a sidewalk in the South End. Falling forward, his face hit the pavement. He arrived at the meeting bloodied.

At first, Frank waved off a trip to the hospital. After all, there was work to be done and problems to be solved: Ending homelessness was a bigger goal than tending to his needs.

Boston attorney John P. Foley has practiced immigration law for more than three decades. In recent months, he has become a frequent voice in Irish media, including a mid-February appearance on RTÉ television, discussing the changing enforcement landscape in the United States.

In an interview last month with Boston Irish, Foley described what he sees as a significantly more aggressive federal immigration system — one that has left undocumented immigrants, lawful residents, and even US citizens uneasy.