There are probably 4+ million asylum seekers in the United States. These are people who filed an application for asylum, form I-589, with the USCIS Asylum Office or with the Immigration Court, and their dependents. Under the new Trump Administration, are such people safe from detention and deportation by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)?
For two-and-a-half months since the election and for what seems like years before that, we’ve been hearing from Donald Trump and his surrogates about how they would deport millions of people, block refugees, end birth-right citizenship, and implement a campaign of “shock and awe” against those in our country illegally. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump was finally sworn in, and his specific agenda is starting to take shape. In some ways, it is easier to deal with his actual policies than to wonder and worry about what he might do. Here, we’ll discuss some of the President’s initial executive orders and how they might affect asylum seekers and other non-citizens in the US of A.
As part of the transition to my new firm, I have been learning their procedures: How they intake cases, create calendars, store documents, manage consultations, etc. As a lawyer, I’ve attended many consultations over the years, but I have always been the lawyer doing the consulting. I have to listen carefully to the person’s story and think of ways to help. I don’t get to focus on the humanity of the situation. But learning the ropes at Murray Osorio (ok, yes, shameless plug for my new firm) allowed me to observe other attorneys consulting with potential clients. Since I didn’t have to pay close attention to the substance of the meeting, I could think more about the human side of things. And this got me thinking about all we are about to lose once the new Administration takes office.
As part of its “mass deportation” plan, the incoming Trump Administration has promised to detain many more immigrants and asylum seekers.
Currently, ICE has the capacity to hold about 40,000 people at any given time. Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s “Border Czar,” has promised to increase detention capacity to at least 100,000. Whether the budget or political will exists to implement these plans, we shall see, but certainly we can expect some level of increased immigration enforcement and detention. If nothing else, the new Administration plans a campaign of “shock and awe” to terrify non-citizens and perhaps convince them to leave the country.
Here, we will discuss what happens when an immigrant is detained, and how to prepare for that possibility. (more…)
Yes, traditionally, these lists include ten items, I know. But these days, you need to take your good news where you can get it, and nine was the best I could muster.
Despite the incoming Administration’s promises of mass deportation, travel bans, and general nastiness, there are some reasons to be hopeful in 2025. Well, maybe “hopeful” is too strong a word, but at least there are some reasons to not lose hope altogether. In any event, without further ado, here are nine reasons for optimism in the New Year: (more…)