By Ally Bolour, Esq.
Donald Trump ran an anti immigrant campaign with an itemized list of goals for his first 100 days in office. They include:
- Creating a deportation task force to remove/deport undocumented individuals;
- Eliminating relief under DACA – (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals);
- Building the wall on our southern border
- Reducing the flow of refugees
Trump has promised to deport up to 2 million undocumented persons who have criminal records. He has not stated what kind of criminals he’ll be after so presumably any criminal hit, including a simple DUI, trespass, or any other infraction would trigger the roundup. Widespread raids at work places and also at predominantly immigrant residential areas are on the table.
President Obama, through the DACA program not only shielded over 800,000 young immigrants from deportation, but also provided them with employment authorization documents. As a result, the kids in the DACA community were able to continue with their educations, apply for jobs, scholarships and build up their careers. Trump’s reversal will put an end to the entire DACA program and immediately cancel those employment cards. The entire DACA community is at risk of deportation.
If there is funding, Trump will start the southern wall immediately. He will also expand prison compounds near the wall for housing immigrants and Central American refugees who attempt to cross the border. He will impose mandatory prison sentences for undocumented migrants. Trump will also punish cities that offer basic relief to refugees and undocumented immigrants.
Trump will attempt to halt the flow of Syrian refugees as well as those from countries “involved” in terrorism. He will use “extreme vetting” of all immigrants from Muslim countries to determine their suitability. He has not defined what extreme vetting.
Kris Kobach, the anti-immigrant Secretary of State of Kansas is leading Trump’s immigration transition team. So whatever you thought of Trump’s immigration policies prior to the election, they just got worse. So if you have been thinking of filing that employment or family petition, do it now. If you are concerned about yours or your family’s immigration status, consult with a reputable immigration attorney. You can check the record of any California immigration attorney by visiting the State Bar of California homepage at http://calbar.org. You may also schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys by calling our Los Angeles office at 323-857-0034.