‘Be Prepared’ – Jamaica Observer

NEW YORK, USA – Jamaican-American immigration attorneyPeople here have warned their undocumented fellow countrymen to take seriously Donald Trump’s threats to deport millions of illegal immigrants if he returns to the White House after tomorrow’s presidential election.

With the race terribly tight just hours before the final day of voting, polls show the former president could still pull off a victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, the lawyers said.

“While it is not possible to simply pick up hundreds or thousands of people, put them on a plane and fly them out of the country, it is important that undocumented Jamaicans take steps to protect themselves,” the Florida-based attorney said Wayne Golding to the newspaper. Jamaican observer in an interview.

Arguing that undocumented immigrants have little recourse to the law, Golding advised such Jamaicans to be prepared to “fight their case in immigration court, bearing in mind that everyone’s case is unique, and that there may be other option should be applied to combat every person”. case”.

Jamaican-born Irwine Clare, head of the Caribbean Immigration Services (CIS), which has helped many Jamaicans and others with their immigration status, also suggested that “Trump’s rhetoric and deportation plans should not be taken lightly.”

Clare said even the Dreamers — a category of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children — are also threatened by Trump’s deportation plans, even though many have gone to college, started businesses or raised families.

He was also concerned that deportation on the scale Trump is considering could cost Jamaica dearly due to lower remittances.

Both Clare and Golding urged Jamaicans in the US who are eligible to vote to do so, implying that a Harris administration would not be as draconian as Trump, whose previous regime has advocated an end to the chain migration, the way most Jamaicans migrate to the United States.

Trump has made the deportation of illegal or undocumented immigrants a centerpiece of his campaign, accusing the Biden/Harris administration of allowing millions of illegal people to flood into the country.

“They are murderers, rapists and evil people who are poisoning the blood of our country,” he has consistently told large crowds at his rallies across the country. Most illegal immigrants enter the country through the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

During his campaign, Harris has countered that a bipartisan border bill negotiated and piloted by Republican Sen. James Lankford was rejected by Trump, who convinced Republicans in Congress to vote against the measure.

Harris and others have accused Trump of taking action to ensure that the administration could not campaign on the issue as a success of its immigration policies. The bill would have provided more funding, additional border guards and more judges to process asylum seekers.

Regarding undocumented Jamaicans living in the US, there is no data confirming their numbers, but many are believed to have been in the country for more than a decade. Most are also believed to have entered the country legally – for example on a visitor visa – but have overstayed their time in the country.

The Observer could not find anyone willing to discuss their situation in detail, but there were expressions of genuine fear among those who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Golding said that to achieve the level of deportation Trump is considering, “Congress might have to be involved because that would require legislative changes. Even then, there are things he can do via executive order. It is therefore imperative that undocumented Jamaicans are aware of what is at stake and take protective measures where possible.”

One thing to consider is the situation of undocumented Jamaicans with an American-born child or children and what their fate would be if the parent is deported, Golding said.

For immigrants who would like to argue that they could be injured or even killed if deported, Golding said, “asylum may be considered. But he warned that such claims would have to be proven.

“My advice is that they seek the help of a qualified lawyer, and avoid taking advice from people on the street corner as that could get them into deeper trouble,” Golding said, adding:

“Whatever the situation, the likelihood that the former president will carry out his deportation plans should he return to the White House should not be taken lightly as there are warning signs.”

Doug Stone, an immigration attorney from Westchester County, New York, who counts many Jamaicans among his clients, said undocumented immigrants who posed a threat to public safety, national security or border security risk are the most concerned about Trump’s deportation plans.

Commenting on the issue, New York-based immigration attorney Winston Tucker was skeptical that Trump could reach the level of mass deportation he is talking about, suggesting that “this is his trump card back to the Oval Office.”

He noted that the Department of Homeland Security has historically lacked the resources to remove significant numbers of undocumented immigrants, leading to an estimated one million people left in the justice system when Trump left office.

Tucker said he believes that could be the case again this time, “as it will take a significant amount of resources to do what the former president is proposing.” He said there is also prosecutorial discretion — a process in which those deemed removable are prioritized based on their individual cases.

He also warned undocumented immigrants not to let fear drive them into the arms of unscrupulous practitioners in their attempt to get on the right side of the law.