The days of having a Ku Klux Klan endorsement ruin your political career are apparently behind us, as the 2016 presidential election resulted in Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States. But what will Trump’s America actually look like? Here’s a preview of what we might see for the future of immigration policy.
Mass Deportations?
President-elect Trump’s platform strongly focused on deporting undocumented immigrants. In a “60 Minutes” post-election interview, Trump doubled down on this sentiment, saying he plans to immediately deport 2-3 million undocumented immigrants who have “criminal records.” Details on how and when this plan might take effect are unknown, though House speaker Paul Ryan stated, “We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump is not planning on that.”
Trump’s Cabinet
As the Trump transition team continues to name potential cabinet picks, the future of immigration reform looks bleak. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) will be nominated for Attorney General. Sessions has opposed nearly every immigration bill — for both legal and undocumented immigrants — that has come before the U.S. Senate. Sessions was rejected from a federal judgeship nomination in 1986 due to his “racially charged comments and actions.”
Two names that have been floated for Homeland Security Secretary are departing sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Joe Arpaio, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Arpaio is an adamant supporter of restrictive immigration policies, and actively worked to deport immigrants crossing the southern border. Kobach worked with Trump throughout the campaign to articulate his hardline immigration policies.
Sanctuary Cities
In his first 100 days, Trump stated he’d work to cut funding to sanctuary cities, or cities that follow procedures that shelter undocumented immigrants. Mayors from cities including Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore and San Francisco announced their intentions to remain sanctuary cities for immigrants, though it is unknown how Trump’s plan may affect federal funding to these cities.
The Wall
One of Trump’s biggest rallying cries on the campaign trail has been building a southern border wall – and demanding that Mexico pay for it. However, there was no mention of such a wall in his plans for his first 100 days in office. We may just see more fencing.
Moving Forward
Many immigrants have feared for their safety and security in the weeks following the election. However, there are many ways to help immigrants and fight for comprehensive immigration reform policies. You can get started by calling representatives to protest these proposed immigration policies, or donating money to organizations that focus on immigrants’ rights.
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