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As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take workplace for a second time subsequent week, migrants, elected officers and immigration teams have voiced their issues about what a Trump presidency means for New York’s sizeable undocumented immigrant inhabitants.
All through his marketing campaign, Trump promised to hold out the “largest-ever” deportation program in US historical past, working on a marketing campaign plank to deport an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. Within the weeks since his election, Trump has doubled down on his marketing campaign guarantees, stating that his plan to deport undocumented migrants has no “price tag” and confirming that he would declare a nationwide emergency and use “military assets ” to hold out the deportation program.
For a big part of Queens’ inhabitants, such guarantees have wrought worry and uncertainty, fears enhanced by Mayor Eric Adam’s assembly with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan in Manhattan final month and his assertion earlier this week that he would work with the Trump administration to develop a “realistic and compassionate” nationwide technique on immigration.
By far essentially the most numerous county in New York Metropolis, Queens County boasts a big undocumented inhabitants, estimated to be above 235,000 individuals, whereas 2020 census knowledge discovered that over 47% of the two.28 million individuals residing in Queens had been foreign-born.
Though New York Metropolis is a sanctuary metropolis and limits cooperation with federal businesses resembling US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), quite a few undocumented migrants have expressed fears in regards to the incoming Trump Administration, whereas elected officers and immigration organizations have voiced issues in regards to the affect that large-scale deportations would have on Queens and the affect that anti-immigrant rhetoric would have on susceptible members of the immigrant group.
In the meantime, Adams has repeatedly mentioned that he helps a conservative-pushed rollback of New York’s sanctuary metropolis legal guidelines launched by the de Blasio administration. Adams has since clarified that New York will stay a sanctuary metropolis though he repeated that he stays against insurance policies that forestall the NYPD from cooperating with detainer requests from ICE.
Talking after his assembly with Homan, Adams mentioned he would cooperate with the incoming administration to clamp down on undocumented migrants who’ve dedicated crimes.
“We’re going to protect the rights of immigrants in the city that are hard-working, giving back to the city in a real way. We’re not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and long-standing New Yorkers,” Adams advised reporters final month.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, representing components of Lengthy Island Metropolis and Astoria in addition to components of Brooklyn and Manhattan, mentioned she has witnessed a big degree of worry amongst her constituents and known as on Albany to organize for the Trump Administration by passing laws to additional restrict cooperation with federal businesses.
Gonzalez emphasised the proposed New York for All Act, which seeks to bar native legislation enforcement and state businesses from collaborating with federal immigration authorities on enforcement, calling it a necessary step towards defending New York’s undocumented inhabitants.
“We’re dealing with a lot of the fear of what a Trump presidency means for New York, and I think the best way for us to combat that is by being prepared,” Gonzalez mentioned. “So, from an Albany perspective, passing bills like New York for All to ensure the state isn’t cooperative with ICE and ensuring that we’re maintaining our sanctuary city and state status are important [steps].”
Detractors of President-elect Donald Trump protested in November in opposition to his deliberate immigration insurance policies. (Picture by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket by way of Getty Photographs)
Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights coverage on the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), described Trump’s insurance policies as a “cruel and inhumane” strategy to the US immigration system.
Galaz added that NYIC is “prepared to take Trump at his word” over his election guarantees, stating that immigrant communities live in worry of a return to the insurance policies that marked Trump’s first time period in workplace. Trump oversaw roughly 1.5 million deportations between 2017 and 2021 and licensed immigration raids at companies, whereas he additionally signed an govt order in 2017 banning individuals from touring to the US from six majority-Muslim nations.
Trump, nonetheless, deported much less individuals than Obama, who deported some 2.9 million individuals throughout his first time period in workplace and an additional 1.9 million throughout his second time period, incomes the nickname “deporter-in-chief.”
Nonetheless, Galaz is preparing for Trump.
“We are truly preparing to face some of the issues that we saw during his previous administration,” Galaz mentioned. “The mass separation and deportation of families, which is a threat to not just the life of American families, but to our democracy and our economy.”
“We have turned New York City into a third-world country,” Paladino advised Fox final October, labelling the inflow of migrants into the town as an “invasion.”
Galaz, nonetheless, mentioned the anti-immigrant rhetoric related to Trump’s marketing campaign and presidency may construct a local weather of mistrust amongst undocumented populations, dissuading individuals from reporting crimes or searching for medical support. She mentioned anti-immigrant messaging may result in an increase in violence in opposition to migrant populations, pointing to an increase in threats of violence in opposition to the Haitian group in Ohio after the Trump marketing campaign falsely accused Haitian migrants of consuming cats and canine earlier this yr.
“The very recent comments on Haitian immigrants had an actual effect on people,” Galaz mentioned. “They were harassed. They were chased. And it does have a real effect. I am hoping that violence against immigrants doesn’t increase, but we have seen that when vulnerable members of a society get scapegoated, the threat of violence is very real.”
Gonzalez, in the meantime, is worried that rhetoric in opposition to undocumented immigrants expressed on the highest ranges of presidency will immediately affect native communities and known as for constructing connections between immigrant communities and the NYPD in order that any assaults or hate crimes might be reported.
She additionally known as for preventative measures to be launched to forestall what she deems as “hateful” rhetoric from being repeated by members of the general public.
For instance, in a rally earlier than the election, Trump promised to “rescue” the Denver suburb of Aurora from hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants. The president-elect labeled the Venezuelan group of Aurora as an “army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world.” In separate marketing campaign rallies, Trump amplified debunked claims, resembling accusing Haitian migrants of consuming pets in Springfield, Ohio, whereas he additionally labeled undocumented immigrants as “animals” and “blood-thirsty criminals” and at varied factors all through his marketing campaign.
“While it’s true that we’re seeing hateful rhetoric in the highest forms of leadership and from our future president,” Galaz mentioned. “We can combat that with a lot of political education on the ground, with a lot of tolerance education, and by ensuring that we’re building with the community so that they feel safe and they have everything they need to feel protected.”
Meeting Member Catalina Cruz, who represents New York’s thirty ninth Meeting District, which incorporates components of Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights, additionally believes anti-immigrant sentiment on the high degree of presidency will translate into an increase in vitriol towards immigrant communities.
“We saw it throughout the campaign,” Cruz mentioned. “I don’t suspect that him having been elected, is going to make things any better or easier.”
Elected officers and immigration organizations consider that Trump’s deportation insurance policies would show detrimental to the town of New York if the president-elect does obtain his purpose of finishing up the biggest deportation program in US historical past.
“These are people who contribute to the economy,” Galaz mentioned. These are individuals who contribute to the vitality of our communities. They’re enterprise homeowners.”
Migrant households come and go from the Floyd Bennett Subject migrant shelter; now, migrants and their supporters are involved that will probably be a straightforward goal below President Trump to spherical up and deport migrant households. (Picture by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs)
Undocumented immigrants residing in Queens expressed fears over the second Trump Administration, voicing issues a couple of lack of livelihood and potential deportation in addition to an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment.
An Ecuadorian lady who crossed the border with out papers two years in the past and now works as a subway vendor mentioned she fears promoting items within the subway after Jan. 20 as a result of she believes there will likely be a crackdown on undocumented migrants working within the subway system as soon as Trump takes workplace. The lady, who requested to stay nameless, mentioned she expects her life to vary as soon as Trump takes workplace and fears a lack of her livelihood, stating that she is going to not function within the subway system as a result of she has heard rumors that the Trump administration will goal distributors.
“We’re worried,” the girl mentioned. “Especially with the winter, we don’t know what we’re going to do if we cannot do this type of work.”
A person who additionally got here to the US from Ecuador and requested to stay nameless mentioned he fears a return to Ecuador as a result of he needed to borrow cash to journey to the US and has not but made sufficient cash to repay the mortgage.
“We are scared because we have to pay and we don’t have money yet,” the person mentioned.
Not all immigrants are involved about Trump’s second time period in workplace, nonetheless. Trump flipped a variety of election districts in predominately immigrant neighborhoods of Queens.
Trump made big inroads in election districts with a big Latino inhabitants, together with components of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona. A lot of the world is situated alongside or close to the Roosevelt Avenue Hall, which has seen rising dissatisfaction amongst residents as a result of an increase in crime and prostitution alongside the avenue, culminating in a variety of protests geared toward elected Democrats.
Mauricio Zamora, a Corona resident and activist who has attended a number of public security rallies within the space, got here to the US as an undocumented migrant from Costa Rica round 30 years in the past earlier than finally acquiring authorized standing by way of marriage. Zamora voted Democrat within the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections earlier than flipping “100%” to Trump in 2024.
Zamora mentioned his and Corona’s shift to the appropriate through the latest election was a protest vote in opposition to native elected Democrats and in opposition to the rise in crime within the space over the previous few years.
He accused the Biden administration of “opening the borders” and permitting people with prison pasts to enter the US. Zamora claims that the overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants residing within the space are exhausting staff and good neighbors however mentioned a variety of immigrants who’ve not too long ago arrived within the space don’t respect the legislation or the neighborhood.
Zamora mentioned he voted for Trump as a result of he believes that the President-elect will deal with deporting migrants who’ve dedicated crimes. He doesn’t consider that Trump’s election guarantees to deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants are attainable.
“He said he was going to deport people without documents who have broken the law,” Zamora mentioned, reflecting dissatisfaction with an increase in crime within the native space.
In the meantime, immigration teams and attorneys have additionally warned that asylum seekers and migrants with momentary visas will face problem throughout Trump’s second time period in workplace.
Detractors of President-elect Donald Trump protest in opposition to his deliberate immigration insurance policies. (Picture by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket by way of Getty Photographs)
Galaz accused Trump of concentrating on the asylum system up to now, stating that she expects the President-elect to nominate judges who will vilify asylum seekers and make it tougher for individuals to enter the asylum system. Queens is house to an enormous variety of newcomers—many labeled as asylum seekers—with round 66 migrant shelters situated all through the borough.
A 2020 Human Rights Watch report famous that Trump’s asylum insurance policies created “insurmountable procedural barriers, evidentiary burdens, and qualification standards” for these searching for asylum, elevating the bar to make sure that candidates must show {that a} “gun was held to their heads” as a way to qualify for asylum.
Gonzalez mentioned the US asylum system is already so advanced that it prevents big numbers of migrants from making use of for asylum and expects to see even fewer individuals making use of for asylum as soon as Trump takes workplace. A latest report by the American Immigration Council states that these searching for asylum within the US should “navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government agencies.”
“Unfortunately, seeking asylum or claiming asylum is incredibly difficult, and there are only a small percentage of those cases that are successful,” Gonzalez mentioned. “It still was incredibly difficult even under the Biden presidency, but I’m sure it’s going to become increasingly difficult when Trump returns to Office.”
Immigration attorneys have additionally predicted an increase in difficulties for migrants on work visas residing in Queens.
A Manhattan-based immigration legal professional, who requested to stay nameless out of worry of retribution, pointed to the truth that H1-B visa approval charges dropped from 97% below the Obama administration to 75% below Trump’s presidency. The visa, which is awarded to overseas nationals who carry out providers in a specialty occupation, is without doubt one of the most sought-after work visas and is the biggest work visa class in the USA.
“It’s still a high success rate, but it definitely did change,” the legal professional mentioned.
Trump additionally altered the renewal course of for O1-B visa renewals, the legal professional famous. The visa, which is issued to non-nationals of “extraordinary ability,” is legitimate for 3 years when it may be renewed. Underneath earlier administrations, United States Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) granted renewal deference to anybody making use of for a visa extension as a result of they’d already proved that they met the usual with their unique software.
Nonetheless, the legal professional famous that Trump applied adjustments requiring anybody making use of for a renewal to show they met the identical customary the second time.
Galaz additionally believes that the Trump administration will purpose to focus on the documented migrant inhabitants throughout his subsequent time period in workplace.
“We are really going to see an attack on all immigrants,” she claimed. “It’s not only the undocumented population that we are concerned about, but rather all immigrants.”
Galaz, nonetheless, believes that Trump is not going to have the capability to deport tens of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in simply 4 years however mentioned NYIC stays involved in regards to the quantity of people that will likely be detained and deported throughout Trump’s second time period in workplace.
“The fact that their numbers are unrealistic doesn’t mean that it’s not going to have a real impact on people. What we’re really concerned about also is the chilling effect that this is going to have on our communities.”
Detractors of President-elect Donald Trump protested in opposition to his deliberate immigration insurance policies when he was elected in November. (Picture by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket by way of Getty Photographs)
In the meantime, Make the Highway New York, a non-profit advocating for immigrant communities, issued a press release shortly after the election stating that the US has lengthy represented a protected haven for immigrants and mentioned Trump’s victory represented a betrayal of long-standing American values.
“Ours is a country that—since its earliest days—has served as a haven for anyone coming in search of a better life for themselves and their families. To see that value betrayed is a slap in the face of generations of immigrants who have made this nation what it is,” Theo Oshiro, co-executive director of Make the Highway NY mentioned in a press release following the election.
Make the Highway and different immigration teams additionally expressed outrage this week following the Mayor’s assertion that undocumented immigrants aren’t entitled to authorized protections below the structure.
Natalia Aristizabal, deputy director of Make the Highway, issued a press release Friday accusing Adams of “cozying up” to the incoming Trump Administration.
“Generations of immigrants have made New York the city that it is—full of diversity and beautiful, vibrant neighborhoods,” Aristizabal mentioned in a press release. “These are our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends. For Mayor Adams to paint undocumented immigrants as criminals is dangerous and offensive, especially from someone with a law enforcement background.”
Earlier than Adams made his assertion, Gonzalez expressed her perception that the Mayor would pose a problem to efforts geared toward defending undocumented communities in Queens and throughout New York Metropolis.
“I imagine Eric Adams being a stumbling block, and I do believe that right now we need to be very clear that that is not the direction we want our city going in,” Gonzalez mentioned. “We want to see our city continue to be a sanctuary. We want to see our city continue to protect immigrant communities, and now is the time for folks who are willing and able to get organized and make sure that we’re building collisions to push Adams on this.”
