Immigration Policy and Trump’s Presidency: How it Affects You

The United States’ immigration policies have been in a constant flux since the 45th President of the United States took office. President Trump has changed, or has attempted to change, many of the policies created by the Obama administration and it is sending rippling effects for immigrants all over the nation. Because of this, let’s go over how he has shaped immigration policy so far and how it affects you directly.

The Basics

Let’s go over some of the key basics of the United States’ immigration policy.

• DACA- The Obama Administration initiated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 that postponed deportation for qualified, undocumented immigrants who immigrated to the U.S. as children. In 2014, this initiative was extended to the parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The children helped by this program have been called Dreamers.
• 287G- This section in the Immigration and Nationality Act dictates how local police can handle immigrants. In it, it states that police may lawfully turn over any undocumented immigrants in their communities and in local jails to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• The Infamous Wall- As one of President Trump’s biggest angles during his campaign, he promised to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The topic has been hotly debated in the White House for many reasons, including the budget as well as ethics.

An Overview of President Trump’s Agenda

Like we mentioned, President Trump used his agenda for immigration policy as an angle during the 2016 presidential election campaigns. During his campaign, President Trump based his immigration agenda on three principles:

1. A nation without borders is not a nation: Here he proposes the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
2. A nation without laws is not a nation: President Trump has a set of laws and bills he would like to pass, which we will talk about below, about laws and regulations regarding immigrants, sanctuary cities, and so on.
3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation: With this statement, President Trump addresses improving jobs, wages, and security for all U.S. citizens.

A Look at What Has Significantly Changed So Far

In June of this year, President Trump and his administration, specifically Rep. Bob Goodlatte, introduced two bills to curb entry of undocumented immigrants into the United States on the basis of violence. The first was Kate’s Law, which proposes harsher punishment for those who have entered the United States illegally after being deported at least once. The other bill was the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, which focuses on sanctuary cities and cuts off grants for many jurisdictions that go against immigration policies.

Within his first 100 days in office, President Trump made a significant difference in immigration policy, but not through legislation. Through executive orders and administration fixes, the number of undocumented immigrants being detained increased significantly. Just in the first two months of his presidency, 21,362 undocumented immigrants were arrested–over 5,000 of them had no past criminal record, something that would’ve come into account under the Obama administration. According to CNN, this number was more than doubled from the previous year.

To move forward with his policies on immigration, President Trump nominated Jeff Sessions as Attorney General and added John Kelly to his administration. Jeff Sessions is a strong supporter of hard line immigration policies while John Kelly has firsthand experience with violence due to cartels in South America. John Kelly was originally brought on as the Secretary of Homeland Security, but as of July 31st, he is Chief of Staff.

Other highlights of his first 100 days in office in terms of immigration include his travel ban from predominately Muslim countries, which has been barred indefinitely by courts, his movement to beef up border patrol, and increasing enforcement within the United States’ borders. He also plans on hiring 5,000 new border patrol agents and 10,000 new immigration officers. President Trump is actively working to repeal much of  Barack Obama’s legislation, including the DACA. This brief summary of President Trump’s impact on immigration in America creates a clear indication of which direction he wants these policies to move in and where they may end up in the future.

What You Can Do

President Trump’s future actions can have an even more tremendous impact on immigration policy. For right now, the Trump administration is pushing to remove as many undocumented immigrants as they can, reduce the number of legal immigrants who gain citizenship, and is making it harder for people to seek asylum, temporary protected status, and more. This can have a dramatic impact on Latinos, Asians, and Muslims who are seeking these.

There are a few things you can do to earn your status even in the face of harsh immigration policies. One way is to work with an immigration lawyer who can help you through the processes and represent you in court. In fact, there are many ways an immigration lawyer can help you, including:

• If you’re seeking asylum, refugee, or temporary protected status: An immigration lawyer can help you if you seek asylum or refugee status by guiding you through the application process and representing you in court. Most people seek asylum or refugee status because they are being persecuted in their home countries because of race, religion, social class, or political opinion. If you are already in the United States and seek help because of persecution, you are seeking asylum. If you are still in your home country, you will require refugee status. A lawyer will help you prepare and present your case.
• If you’re a Dreamer under DACA and are worried about your status: If DACA is repealed, it can cause a lot of problems for people who immigrated to the United States as children. Under DACA, Dreamers can receive a social security number, work and pay taxes, and apply for college more easily. A lawyer can help you in two ways; apply for DACA and maintain and fight for your status.
• If you’re actively seeking citizenship: In this day and age, seeking citizenship legally can be hard. An immigration lawyer can help you make your case and expedite the process.
• If you’ve been arrested or detained due to being undocumented: An immigration lawyer can represent you in court and fight for your case. Having a lawyer by your side can help you navigate legal jargon and help to ensure you receive the best outcome possible.

While immigration policies are ever changing, an immigration lawyer can help you seek the status you desire or maintain the one you’ve been given. They can also help you if you find yourself in legal trouble. With good representation, you can present a stable case and make it through even in a time of growing hard line immigration policies.

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