Get Ready for Trump’s Mass Deportations Starting On ‘Day One’

By Alex P. Vidal 

“I’ve seen the impact of deportation in my district. It is heartbreaking to see families torn apart for no good reason.” —Jan Schakowsky

SINCE December 2024, United States communities with suspected large number of illegal immigrants have been buzzing with worries and fears there would be “mass deportations” to begin on President-elect Donald Trump’s “day one” in office.

Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s incoming border czar, has repeatedly confirmed they would start in the state of Illinois. “Chicago’s in trouble,” warned Homan.

Mr. Trump has tapped Homan to run the biggest deportation operation the country has ever seen. The operation will begin in Chicago right after Mr. Trump is inaugurated for his new term on January 20, according to the bombastic incoming border czar.

Homan vowed agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be in Chicago when Mr. Trump takes office.

“January 21st, you’re going to look for a lot of ICE agents in your city looking for criminals and gang members,” Homan said. “Count on it. It will happen.”

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The President-elect has threatened communities by promising “mass deportations” of immigrants. One of the tools the Trump administration may use is an expansion of the “expedited removal” program, combined with raids in neighborhoods and workplaces, warned the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC).

“Using expedited removal, an immigration officer may quickly deport individuals without due process if the government establishes that they entered the United States without immigration documents and have been in the country for less than two years. People deported under expedited removal may be detained and deported without appearing before an immigration judge,” NIJC revealed.

Other immigrants – regardless of how long they have been in the United States – may also experience immigration enforcement and removal.

Anyone without secure immigration status may be subject to enforcement efforts. People who were ordered deported in the past and people who have had contact with the criminal legal system are at particular risk, warned the NIJC.

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To protect themselves and their loved ones, NIJC suggested 5 things to immigrants:

1. Seek A Legal Consultation. With private attorneys: Call the American Immigration Lawyers Association at 1-800-954-0254 for a referral.

With nonprofit organizations that employ U.S. licensed attorneys or Department of Justice accredited representatives: A list of these organizations can be found at Immigration Advocates Network or Illinois Access to Justice.

2. Create A Safety Plan. Identify your emergency contacts and memorize their phone numbers.

Provide your child’s school or day care with an emergency contact to pick up your child.

Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child.

Tell your loved ones that if you are detained by ICE, they can try to use ICE’s online detainee locator to find you: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search

Read more about guardianship and power of attorney considerations for immigrants in Illinois and Indiana.

3. Collect Your Documents In A Safe Place. Keep your identity information and financial information in a safe location.

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Gather documents showing the length of time you have been in the United States; the most recent two years are most important. This can include U.S. income tax returns, utility bills, leases, school records, medical records, bank records, or other documents.

Make sure your emergency contact can access all of these documents.

Read and practice NIJC’s guidance on what to do if you encounter ICE in your community.

4. Avoid Immigration Fraud. Only seek legal advice from an attorney or an accredited representative at a Department of Justice-recognized nonprofit organization.

Lawyers must have a license from a U.S. state to practice law. Ask to see their law license. Law licenses from other countries do not authorize the practice of law in the United States.

Accredited representatives must be accredited and work for a nonprofit agency recognized by the Department of Justice. Ask to see their accreditation documents.

Never sign an application with false information. Never sign a blank form. Ask for copies of everything you sign. If the advice sounds too good to be true, get a second opinion before filing an immigration application.

Read NIJC’s full guidance on how to avoid immigration fraud.

5. Be Alert For Digital Scams. Be skeptical of social media posts promising new or quick immigration relief. The U.S. government (including Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and State Department) will never contact you via WhatsApp or social media.

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With limited exceptions, such as people who are released from detention and told they must check in with ICE via telephone, the U.S. government generally does not contact individuals by phone.

If you receive an unexpected message or phone call from someone who claims they are an immigration officer or other government official, do not respond or share personal information. Do not wire or transfer money to pay a “processing fee” or for any other reason.

If in doubt, consult an attorney or accredited representative before taking any action.

Avoid sharing unverified information on social media.

Meanwhile, celebrated immigration lawyer Michael Gurfinkel, who has helped a lot of Filipinos with immigration problems, has warned that “the incoming Trump administration is going to be very aggressive on immigration enforcement, as that was one of the main issues they ran on and why people voted for Trump.”

According to Gurkinfel, “US voters were tired of the open border, and Trump promised tough action.”

“In my opinion,” Gurfinkel wrote, “Homan is not saying he will actually deport US citizen family members along with the illegal aliens. (US citizens cannot be deported.) Instead, what he is saying is that if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deports an illegal alien and their US-born children or spouse are traumatized over being separated, then let the children and spouse accompany the deported alien back to their home country. In other words, it would be the US citizen family member’s choice to stay or go.”

The lawyer stressed that “Homan also compared this family separation to what exists in regular criminal cases, where if a family member is charged with a crime and goes to jail, then they are obviously separated from their other family members. We do that all the time: send convicted criminals to jail, and we don’t let them go free just because they have family members.”

Gurfinkel suggested:  “If you have immigration issues and are worried about being included in the mass deportations, I would strongly recommend you consult with an attorney who can evaluate your immigration situation and could perhaps find avenues for you to legalize your status, or you could already line up an attorney ‘just in case’ you get a knock on the door.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)