The effects of a Trump presidency on immigration laws

    Updated 11/09/2016

    A message from William A. Stock, the President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association:

    We woke up this morning to the news most of us did not expect and many of our clients feared: after one of the most divisive campaigns in modern history that included statements maligning immigrants from Mexico and scapegoating Muslim-Americans, a call for mass deportations and the end of DACA, and a speech in Arizona presenting a wish list of restrictionist policy proposals, Donald Trump has won the election and will become the 45th president of the United States.

    All of us are facing calls from anxious clients: from DACA recipients whose hopes for a life with legal status for themselves and their families in the United States appear to be dimming, from relatives who fear their family members may be removed or forever barred from coming, from business leaders who are less confident that America’s immigration system will support economic growth, and from employees on work visas who fear losing all they have built in the United States. We must remember that whatever personal anxieties we may have about what the next few years will bring are dwarfed by the fears and anxieties of our clients and the immigrant population.

    For more than 70 years, AILA members have stood alongside our clients, helping them realize the American dream. We are their advocates and their voice, helping them through the tough times. We have been here before: in the McCarthy era, when even a whisper of sympathy to the Communist cause could derail an immigrant’s life in the United States; in 1996 and the years that followed, when the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act wreaked havoc on our nation with severe penalties that had retroactive effect, and jurisdiction stripping provisions that severely curtailed federal court review; and in the dark days after September 11, when we found ourselves up against unexplained adjudication delays, detention without due process, and trials based on secret evidence. Through it all, AILA members have worked tirelessly to secure fairness and justice for those in immigration proceedings of every kind. And this time is no different. AILA will continue to fight for a just and fair system using every tool at our disposal.

    It is important to remember, as we look forward to an uncertain future, that we have invaluable and unlimited resources at our disposal: the talents, ingenuity, passion, legal acumen, and persistence of our fellow AILA members. Looking forward, we must continue to support one another as we always have, by coming together for inspiration, to share war stories, and to take every opportunity that we can find to advocate for fair and just treatment for immigrants. Together we must carry this message of unity and perseverance to the immigration agencies, to Congress, and to the courts.

    We look forward to meeting these challenges together with all of you.

    William A. Stock, AILA President & Benjamin Johnson, AILA Executive Director

    AILA Doc. No. 16110931.

    Northern California Immigration Attorneys Urge President-elect Trump to Turn Away from Negative Rhetoric and Move Forward on Immigration Reform

    SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – The Northern California Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA NorCal) called on President-elect Trump to turn away from negative rhetoric and instead work with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to move forward on immigration reform.

    Speaking for the Association, Olivia Lee, AILA NorCal Chapter Chair, said “For far too long, American families and businesses have limped along with our antiquated immigration laws,” Lee said. She continued, “In California we’ve seen families torn apart, people living in fear, businesses unable to fill workforce needs, and communities where trust in law enforcement has faded. It is past time for an overhaul of immigration laws and policies put in place more than a generation ago; updating our immigration system will benefit all Californians. “

    AILA NorCal urges Senator Dianne Feinstein and incoming Senator Kamala Harris, and our Representatives in Washington, DC, to work on comprehensive immigration reform. Immigrants are already contributing to our communities but with changes to the law we can easily increase our shared prosperity. Thus far our nation has failed to find a workable solution to the problems faced by immigrants, businesses, employers, and state and local governments. With the end to this election cycle, we encourage bipartisan efforts toward real change that helps everyone” said Lee. Several Northern California immigration advocacy organizations will meet to discuss plans for outreach efforts in the coming days and weeks.

    For more information about the possible effects of the Trump presidency on immigration laws, please see the following articles:

    If you have any questions about the impact on your case, please contact us.