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What immigration could look like under Trump
Immigration was heavily discussed topic during the presidential campaign and with Trump being elected as president, people are focused on what happens next. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with an immigration attorney to hear what he had to say.
HOUSTON - President-Elect Donald Trump's tough campaign rhetoric on immigration policy has brought the topic into sharp focus, raising questions and concerns about what the future may hold.
FOX 26 spoke with an immigration attorney, Raed Gonzalez, to gain insight into the potential changes under the Trump administration.
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After a heated presidential campaign marked by bold promises of immigration reform, questions linger on how President-Elect Donald Trump will deliver on those promises.
During his campaign, Trump vowed to enact mass deportations, end birthright citizenship, and reinforce U.S. borders, a platform that won him the presidency and will mark a significant shift in policy, if implemented.
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"Everybody is worried about their status at this point because it’s the uncertainty of what will happen," Gonzalez explained. He addressed concerns around Trump's suggestion of using the Alien Enemies Act to deport non-citizens from countries with which the U.S. is at war, a measure Gonzalez views as unlikely.
"Courts have said no. It’s not an invasion; it’s an immigration problem that is happening all over the world and not just the United States," Gonzalez said.
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Mass deportation raises numerous issues: the logistics of identifying and detaining immigrants, the capacity to hold them, and the possibility of countries refusing to accept deportees. Gonzalez acknowledges the challenges but doesn’t rule out heightened enforcement at the southern border.
"Strengthening the border, expanding expedited removal, which is certain individuals that are in the United States less than 14 days that are from certain mileage from the border, can be expedited removed without any question," Gonzalez said.
Trump has said he would end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally.
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"It will require an amendment of the 14th constitution of the United States. This is something that is not impossible, but it will require 2/3rds of Congress, that’s a little difficult, or 2/3rds of the states," Gonzalez said.
As the transition to a Trump administration nears, the specifics of how these sweeping immigration policies will be enacted—and their potential impact on the lives of millions—remain to be seen.