President Trump kicked off his 2020 re-election campaign in Orlando, Florida and later expressed via Twitter his intent to remove “millions” of illegal immigrants. According to an official announcement made to the Associated Press, this operation will be mainly focused on people who have been issued a final deportation order by a federal judge but are still living in the United States. In order to make this happen, President Trump has been pushing Mark Morgan, the recently appointed director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department, to get stricter with detentions.
This statement upset many immigration advocates, amongst them Libby Schaaf, the mayor of Oakland. She responded to the president via Twitter: ”if you continue to threaten, target and terrorize families in my community… and if we receive credible information… you already know what our values are in Oakland — and we will unapologetically stand up for those values.”
Earlier this month President Trump also threatened to set tariffs on Mexican goods, in an attempt to force Mexico to strengthen its borders and stop migrants from entering the United States.
After heated negotiations, the tariffs will not be implemented, as both countries have reached an agreement. Even though the agreement is yet to be finalized, its general terms include Mexico’s commitment to strengthening its borders and an agreement to start processing the refugee status claims of those who have entered the United States from Mexican territory.
President Trump also tweeted his intent to sign a “Safe-Third Agreement” with the government of Guatemala.
Signing such an agreement would mean that Guatemala would be considered a “safe country,” and would encourage migrants from other parts of Central America to seek asylum in Guatemala rather than the United States.
Opponents claim the country is far from safe, with more than 100,000 people have fled Guatemala last year. Crime, insecurity, and violence are cited as the top reasons for fleeing. Ironically, even the U.S State Department Travel Advisory website warns U.S. citizens to “reconsider” plans to travel to Guatemala.
Connie Philips, who helped hundreds of asylum seekers in Phoenix, said she doesn’t think the president’s tough talk will stop the flow of immigrants. “It’s not what’s driving it. What’s driving it are the issues that they’re experiencing in their own countries,” Phillips said.
With the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and USCIS policies getting stricter, it’s more important than ever to have your immigration paperwork up-to-date and file it right the first time. Get started today.
