COLORADO — Immigration professionals like attorneys and non-profit case workers are putting in extra hours these days in anticipation of President-Elect Trump’s deportation promises.
“I've been getting a lot of questions from existing clients, from potential clients, and from other attorneys. How do they handle it, attorneys that maybe weren't practicing during the first Trump administration? What to expect?” said Denver area Immigration Attorney, Brandon Roche.
During his campaign and since winning the election Trump has repeatedly said he will move swiftly on deportation plans.
At a campaign rally in Aurora, Colorado Trump said, “We will send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol, and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest, and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country.”
There is uncertainty about what could follow the deportation of illegal immigrants involved in criminal activity.
Roche said immigration law is complicated and current rhetoric can make it feel chaotic.
“I think there's going to be a lot of other people swept up in this, maybe whose immigration status is still pending, or they're in different types of status that will be rescinded once Trump takes office.”
He is advising his clients to prepare now because of the many unknown possibilities.
“Trying to take extra precautions or carry extra documentation or avoid certain places if they think that that's where it's going to be raided, you know, whatever it comes down to, to make them safe, but also furthering their own legal process as they go through the immigration system.”
When it comes to immigration enforcement the letter of the law is typically the prevailing factor.
“It really is a system that is pretty indiscriminate and can be quite harsh, and I think it's going to be underlined and emphasized in the coming months,” said Roche.
The law is also a way to challenge actions taken by the government.
Attorneys are watching and ready to challenge the new immigration policy in court as it is revealed.
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