Trump's immigration policy hits: Escaping anxiety among undocumented immigrants, DACA beneficiaries urgently seeking a way out

Migrant workers in Riverside County, California, met with legal advocates who are concerned about the immigration crackdown promised by President elect Trump.

President elect Donald J. Trump has vowed to begin reducing immigration - both legal and illegal - and increasing deportation efforts on his first day in office.

Immigrants are rushing to take action before the crackdown begins.

Foreign born residents have flooded the phone numbers of immigration lawyers. They crowded the information exchange meeting held by non-profit organizations. They are taking all possible measures to avoid being affected by the comprehensive measures promised by Trump after his inauguration on January 20th.

People who should be scared have arrived, and those who already hold green cards are rushing over, "said Ina Simakovsky, an immigration lawyer in Columbus, Ohio. She also said that her team has received too many inquiries and is already overwhelmed. Everyone is very scared, "she said.

People holding green cards hope to become citizens as soon as possible. Those with unstable legal status or illegal entry are rushing to apply for asylum, because even if the reasons for the application are not sufficient, according to current regulations, there are pending cases that can protect them from deportation. People who are related to US citizens are quickly getting married, so they are eligible to apply for a green card.

Approximately 13 million people have legal permanent residency. According to the latest available data for 2022, there are 11.3 million undocumented residents.

The election result left me in panic and prompted me to immediately seek a permanent solution, "said Arnes Kampzano, a 30-year-old software engineer in Houston.

Ruth Gallegos, Executive Director of TODEC Legal Center, which provides advice to immigrant farm workers in Southern California, said, "We don't want to create more fear, but we want them to be prepared.

She was brought from Mexico to the United States when she was two months old and met the conditions of the Childhood Arrivals Deferred Action (DACA) program, an Obama era program that allowed thousands of childhood immigrants to stay in the United States with work permits.

But DACA was a target of Trump's attacks during his first term and is currently being challenged by a lawsuit that could help him terminate the program. Given the precarious nature of the plan, Kampzano and her fianc é (an American neuroscientist) have accelerated their marriage plans. They will hold their wedding next month - before Trump takes office. She said, "I can only breathe normally when my identity is protected

The chaotic situation at the border during President Biden's presidency has left voters from both parties dissatisfied. During his campaign, Trump promised to implement mass deportations and stated last week that he intends to declare a national state of emergency and deploy federal troops to achieve his goals. His top immigration policy advisor, Stephen Miller, has stated that "massive containment facilities" will serve as a "hub for action. This week, the Texas Land Commissioner provided the federal government with over 1000 acres of land near the border for the establishment of detention centers.

Expulsion is not uncommon. According to an analysis by the Immigration Policy Institute, Trump expelled approximately 1.5 million people during his first term. The number of people expelled by President Biden is also similar. President Obama expelled 3 million people during his first term.

However, since the 1950s, the United States has never attempted to mass deport a population, nor has it established a large detention facility to assist with deportations.

In addition to Miller, the incoming president has also appointed other immigration hawks to key positions, including Thomas Holman, a senior official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the "Border Tsar".

Homan stated that the government will prioritize the repatriation of criminals and those who have not executed deportation orders. But he also stated that he will use workplace raids and other means to capture undocumented immigrants, many of whom have been living in the United States for decades.

Thomas Holman, who led Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration, has now been appointed as the 'Border Tsar'.

Even in California, where its leaders restricted cooperation with immigration departments during Trump's first term and promised to do so again, immigrants still worry that law enforcement efforts will be significantly strengthened.

Sylvia Campos, a Mexican farm worker who is an undocumented immigrant, said, "We are even more afraid this time because Trump said he will do everything after he returns to power." She lives in Riverside County with her husband and three children, two of whom are American citizens.

She said that on Spanish radio, television, and social media, wherever she goes, she will hear information about Trump's intentions.

Everyone is talking about this, "said Campos, 42, who crossed the border with her husband 18 years ago. We must prepare for the worst

That's why she took a leave of absence from the manager last Tuesday, not to harvest vegetables, but to attend a "Know Your Rights" lecture at a non-profit organization.

Their reminder includes: You have the right to remain silent. Only immigration staff who have presented a judge's search warrant are allowed to open the door. Do not sign any documents without a lawyer present. Develop a family plan to prevent detention and separation from children.

Wendy Machado and Vincenzo Marinello, along with their 7-month-old daughter Katerina Marinello, are at their home in Funi, Texas.

After the lecture, Campos filled out an affidavit authorizing her child to receive medical treatment if necessary and to be taken care of by her sister (a US citizen) in her absence. She notarized three oaths and after returning home, she confessed to three children aged 11, 14, and 17.

We don't want to create more fear, but we want them to be fully prepared, "said Ruth Gallegos, Executive Director of TODEC Legal Center, whose hotline was hacked after the election and began hosting these lectures, many of which were packed.

The center has been sending teams to introduce the situation of farm workers in the agricultural developed areas of Southern California, which rely on immigrant labor, most of whom are undocumented immigrants. On Thursday morning, 30 workers from a farm in Lakeview temporarily put aside their work of picking and packaging green leafy vegetables to attend the fourth briefing held that day.

In Dallas, 30-year-old Vincenzo Marino is a beneficiary of DACA and has been frantically exploring legal ways to stay in the United States.

If he loses DACA, he will lose his job, driver's license, and may even lose his three bedroom house. He has already formed a family with another DACA beneficiary who has a 7-month-old baby.

Without DACA, I wouldn't be able to support my family, "said Marinero, a systems engineer at a religious broadcasting company.

He hopes that the company can guarantee him to obtain a skilled worker visa, but this may have to wait until next year. At the same time, his lawyer suggested that he apply for an extension of DACA for another two years, although it currently expires in June 2025.

When Trump takes office, I hope my credentials can be extended for two years, "Marinero said. This way, I will have more time to plan

Although few university leaders have expressed their opinions on the Trump administration's immigration strategy, many campuses have been quietly weighing measures to protect their international and undocumented students.

On November 15th, over 1700 university administrators and faculty members participated in an online discussion on how to provide support for these students.

The message we want to convey is that now is the time to take action, "said Miriam Feldebrum, executive director of the Higher Education and Immigration Principals Alliance, a non partisan group of private and public universities that hosted the event.

She said that many institutions are considering providing guarantees for DACA beneficiaries to apply for work visas, which will provide them with a temporary solution and ultimately enable them to obtain permanent legal status. They are seeking to leverage the Biden administration's new guidelines, which have accelerated the processing of eligible individuals.

What is particularly worrying is that with the upcoming winter vacation, many international students may return to their home countries to visit their families. In 2017, on his first day in office, Trump banned people mainly from Muslim countries from entering the United States, causing chaos at airports. This ban was questioned in court, but a later version was retained.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has issued a travel warning to all international students and faculty, urging them to "seriously consider" returning to the United States before President's inauguration day, and stating that students can move into dormitories early.

Wesleyan University, a private university in Middletown, Connecticut, also sent similar advice to its international students via email on November 18th. The school stated that staying in the United States around January 19th is the safest way to avoid difficulties in re entering the country.

Source: The New York Times