Key Takeaways
- Donald Trump’s potential second term poses severe threats to immigrants in the U.S., including possible mass deportations and stricter border controls.
- California’s immigration and rights organizations are preparing immigrants through “know your rights” sessions, free legal support, and advocating for enhanced sanctuary policies.
- The appointment of “border czar” Tom Homan suggests a marked increase in workplace checks and raids, stirring fears among undocumented immigrants.
- Conservative judicial appointments and harsher federal policies might limit legal defense options, challenging efforts to resist anti-immigrant actions.
The morning after Donald Trump’s re-election, immigrants began lining up at legal aid centers in California. Permanent residents sought help applying for citizenship, while asylum seekers pondered moving again. Luz Gallegos, director of the TODEC Legal Center, urged the community to prepare for the worst as Trump reiterated his intention to lead the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
With Tom Homan appointed as “border czar,” he declared intentions to heighten workplace inspections and anti-trafficking raids, especially warning sanctuary cities not to stand in the way. California-based immigrant organizations are responding with intensive “know your rights” sessions, urging parents to arrange guardianship for their children if they are detained, and reinforcing rapid-response networks.
Even with less favorable federal courts, immigrants remain “clear-eyed and prepared to fight back against the cruelty that lies ahead.” From small groups to larger coalitions like “We Are California,” the community seeks to prevent fear from fracturing their rights.
For people like Edvin Dapcevic, a DACA recipient who has been in the U.S. since he was four, the future seems shaky. Forced to consider relocating abroad, he might leave family behind, searching for what the U.S. has yet to promise — a stable future.
#California
Source [https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-11-12/california-immigrants-prepare-for-a-second-trump-administration]
