In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election and return to the White House on Jan. 20 next year, immigrant rights groups and government officials at the state and local level are preparing as much as possible to resist the president-elect’s campaign pledge to conduct the largest mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in U.S. history.
The incoming Trump administration says they will implement their mass deportation plan by using the U.S. military to hunt down immigrants, as well as building internment camps in Republican party-controlled states. The former twice-impeached president and convicted felon has also talked about his goal of ending birthright citizenship and terminating immigrant children’s right to public education. Immigrant rights advocates emphasize that these actions will not happen all at once and that they can learn and adapt from what happens early on.
Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center, or NILC, who talks about her organization’s 11-month planning process to prepare for any and all of Trump’s mass deportation scenarios.
KICA MATOS: Immediately after the election, we then began to pivot and our focus has been on our plan to implement our scenario plans under Trump. We’re going to be using the law, particularly litigation, and advocacy, to fight off the extreme anti-immigrant agenda of the administration, challenge the constitutionality of the administration’s plans. We have also begun to engage in collaboration with other organizations that focus either on mass mobilization or advocacy to make sure we are coordinating our efforts. And so part of the infrastructure that we have worked to develop is to make sure that we anticipate what’s coming and are prepared to respond and that we have the tools in place to fight back.
MELINDA TUHUS: Can you clarify the roles of federal as opposed to state or local law enforcement in dealing with undocumented immigrants?
KICA MATOS: There is a long line of Supreme Court cases that have continued to affirm that immigration is the domain of the federal government. That means that immigration enforcement is also the domain of the federal government. Local law enforcement is not mandated to engage in immigration enforcement. There are some programs, like 287(g), that offer training to local police who have an interest in cooperating and helping to facilitate immigration enforcement, but it is not the mandate of local law enforcement to carry out immigration enforcement. That is strictly up to the federal government.
MELINDA TUHUS: Kica Matos, government officials at all levels are saying what they plan to do, either to deport immigrants or to try to defend them, but what about the role of everyday Americans who see immigrants as their co-workers, their neighbors, their friends – as vital members of their community, and they want to help?
KICA MATOS: Part of the effort of the immigrant rights movement is to make sure we are prepared to mobilize and engage in mass mobilization not just in New Haven, not just in Connecticut, but all over the country to make sure that people, when they see a grave injustice, are willing to speak out much like they did in 2016 (2017), the Muslim ban is an example – thousands of people taking to airports all over the country, saying, “This is not who we are. “Think about family separation – children in cages. What stopped that? It was also the voice of Americans who were completely repulsed who thought it was okay to put children in cages or to separate children from their parents. So, similarly, there are efforts in place to make sure that that is part of the strategy to protect and support immigrants, many of whom make incredible contributions to our country on a daily basis and all they’re trying to do is live their lives like the rest of us are.
MELINDA TUHUS: The idea that there are safe spaces where Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE agents, won’t go to arrest immigrants has been a key plank in securing their sense of safety. Is that policy still intact?
KICA MATOS: The sensitive locations policies are still very much in place, so schools remain safe spaces for children because the sensitive locations policies prohibit ICE from engaging in any enforcement activities in schools, in faith-based institutions, in clinics, in hospitals and at rallies. It is possible that it will be lifted and if it is lifted, then we are looking at a very frightening set of potential scenarios. (Update: Trump plans to scrap policy restricting ICE arrests at churches, schools and hospitals)
Unlike 2016, when many people were shocked by the election outcome and unprepared for what the administration unleashed, this time around all over the country, there were really serious efforts to engage in scenario planning so people are more prepared than they ever were. There is also the benefit of having the experience of the first Trump administration, so people are bringing that wisdom and that level of analysis to be able to guide and help us prepare for this go-round. Our efforts, both from the national perspective and the local perspective are geared to make sure that we are ready, no matter what comes our way.
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