HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — As President-elect Donald Trump pledges mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, local immigration attorneys are answering questions the community may have.
After November’s presidential election, staff with Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, a nonprofit immigration law office in Holland, have been very busy.
“The hotline has been hot. I probably get between 12 and 15 calls within a four-hour span of time,” said Sarah Yore-Van Oosterhout, Founder of Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates.
Yore-Van Oosterhout said on the other end of some of those phone calls are people worried about Trump’s call for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants.
“A lot of folks are calling with concerns about a nonimmigrant or an undocumented member of their family or they’re calling about themselves and wondering what they can do now,” Yore-Van Oosterhout said.
There’s a lot of uncertainty about the plan, including exactly how it would work, although Trump suggested on social media this week that the military will be used.
Yore-Van Oosterhout said her organization is focusing on the most realistic outcomes.
“Realistically, a lot of the changes he’s suggesting require changing law and that’s not something that’s going to happen quickly,” Yore-Van Oosterhout said.
At the same time, she’s advising undocumented individuals and families with mixed status to prepare for what she calls the worst-case scenario.
“Let’s say dad wakes up the next morning in Mexico and needs to be reunited with children, what would need to happen to make sure that those kids can get to Mexico to be with him?” Yore-Van Oosterhout said. “So, we’re asking people to think about powers of attorney for their minor children, durable financial power of attorney for their assets in case they need to transfer money out of a bank account or sell property.”
Samuel Filcik is an asylum attorney with Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates and represents individuals in removal defense proceedings. He’s also heard plenty of concerns from his clients.
“The biggest concern that most people have is that they’ll be detained by (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) pending their hearings and not be able to provide for their families,” Filcik said.
To quell fears, Filcik is reminding people of their rights.
“Because they are already in the United States, they do have rights, and they do have a right to be heard on their immigration petitions,” Filcik said.
As of now, Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates is encouraging people to not make dramatic changes.
“There are a lot of people talking self-deporting or leaving the country — instead, make little plans so they’re at least prepared for that worst case scenario,” Yore-Van Oosterhout recommended.