It’s a couple of months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office but Bay Area immigrant support groups say they're already preparing clients for the possibility of deportation or delays in work visas.
The group “Amigos De Guadalupe’ in San Jose helps many immigrants. The group does not want to show their faces because many now say they are living in fear, largely because of the Trump’s campaign promises of mass deportation.
Amigos de Guadalupe's founder and executive director Maritza Maldonado said it’s sad their client are portrayed as law breaking villains.
“They clean our buildings, they cook our meals, they’re our nannies, they’re our bus drivers. They’re just here trying to find a better life,” she said.
Amigos de Guadalupe is also getting ready for possible immigration raids with signs and cards being spread throughout the community.
“This is a 24-hour hotline that you have access to immigration attorneys and someone will answer and we have people, responders that will go out and supervise and record what’s going on,” said Maldonado.
Attorney Hasan Abdullah of the Fremont based Visa Law Group handles immigration issues for several communities and notes while much of the focus has been on Latin countries, Asian and Indian immigrants are also facing questions about the next administration's immigration policies.
“They're more on the skilled worker side. You have more people who are skilled workers, particularly from India and the wait times for a Green Card, especially for newly applied cases is several years. So, their concern is more on that than things like deportation,” said Visa Law Group attorney Hasan Abdullah.
Cesar Bautista, an immigration attorney for Amigos De Guadalupe, said that community groups will be lobbying for help from the present outgoing Biden and Harris administration.
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“Any executive action that could benefit immigration populations, dreamers, DACA recipients, anything would be welcome. Because I think in the next four years, we don't see a lot of positive immigration change,” he said.
The "X" factor could be what action the Biden administration takes over the next two months but between talk of mass deportations and the unknown. One coordinator put it bluntly, saying everyone is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
