Trump Deportation Threat Affecting Whole City

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
Protesting President-elect Donald Trump’s Project 2025 with its detailed conservative blueprint, demonstrators let their feelings and fears be known in Foley Square, two days after the shocking result which had the former Republican president taking both the Electoral College and popular vote over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump said that he would begin mass deportations on day one, and re-hired his former ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Thomas Homan as his Czar to oversee this proposed removal of millions of undocumented people living in the US.
Homan, who had children held in cages at the border, many still missing, earlier said of undocumented residents, “You’d better start packing now.”

Reportedly, the former Border Patrol agent advocated for the family separation strategy as an effective deterrent to border crossings.
Brooklyn immigration attorney Brian Figeroux told Our Time Press, “Trump will come after immigrants. He’s already put in a czar, a man who is going to be in charge of the witch-hunt. They think there are about 25 million people in the US that shouldn’t be here. Already at this law firm we are getting calls from people who are concerned. Some of the people who should be, are those who have already been slated for deportation, but never left. They are probably the first people who he is going to come after.”

It is potentially even more drastic, the Downtown Brooklyn-based Trinidad-born lawyer continued. “He is going to get rid of TPS – Temporary Protected Status, for Haitians, for Venezuelans, for all the countries that have it now. They will be given a certain amount of time to leave the country. The temporary period is over. He is going to change that by Executive Order. Anything he can do by Executive Order, he will. Even if they challenge him, it will be a temporary challenge to give people time.”

Then there is DACA–Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
“DACA was Obama, Trump hates him – he will get rid of it,” said Figeroux. “DACA was always a temporary solution. Trump wants to undo anything positive Obama established. This is very serious, and people should take it seriously immediately.”
Gothamist reported that there are “535,000 current DACA recipients or so-called ‘Dreamers’ nationally – including about 21,000 in New York.”

The migrant crisis of the last two years has exacerbated the political issue.
At one point, migrants bused in from the southern border by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, and by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, had up to 4,000 people coming to NYC every week. Now, the city says 600 migrants come in every week, while 1400 leave.
With some migrant shelters closing Mayor Eric Adams said that 58,000 migrants remain in the city. Since April 2022 a reported 220,000 migrants have come to the city, while 170,000 have moved out of state.

“At a time when fear and uncertainty are widespread across immigrant communities, the demand for know-your-rights workshops on topics such as ICE enforcement and deportation is higher than ever,” Husein Yatabarry, Executive Director of Muslim Community Network told Our Time Press. “With the possibility of returning to an era defined by mass deportation threats, our community members face a palpable and intense fear for their futures and families. The impact of previous years under hostile immigration policies has not been forgotten.

“Today, community organizations are stepping up with renewed urgency, using education and advocacy to protect and prepare our immigrant neighbors for the challenges that may lie ahead. We are calling upon our city and state elected officials to reinforce their support and provide concrete assurances that our immigrant populations will be safeguarded from unjust targeting. In a time when the threat of deportation looms over families who have contributed so much to our shared community, our collective action must meet this moment with strength and compassion.”

Adams, who spoke with Trump just after his re-election, said that the city intends “to protect our immigrant communities, and we will work with the new administration in Congress to develop a realistic and compassionate national strategy for our immigration system. This includes pushing Congress to provide expedited authorization for asylum seekers who desire to work…Our city will also continue to offer care, resources, and legal help to those who need it. Regardless of immigration status, we will be here for you. New York City will always remain a city of immigrants.”

The Homeland Security Department estimates that there are at least 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. Trump’s new ICE Czar Thomas Homan, was hired by President Obama in 2013, to become the Executive Associate Director of ICE.
“Barack Obama deported more people than any other president in 2013,” said former City Councilman and Assemblyman Charles Barron, with 432,000 deportations. Records show that when he was president from 2016 to 2020 Trump deported up to 350,000 people.

“What Trump seems to be contemplating is potentially lawful,” the Associated Press quoted Joseph Nunn, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at NY U’s School of Law. “There might not be a lot of legal barriers. It is going to be logistically extraordinarily complicated and difficult. The military is not going to like doing it and they are going to drag their feet as much as they can, but it is possible, so it should be taken seriously.”
A DACA Dreamer himself once, Commissioner Manuel Castro from Immigrant Affairs said, “We will continue to protect our immigrant communities. As a thriving city of immigrants, we will demonstrate the contributions of all our immigrant communities to our local economy and to the well-being of our city.”

Asked that if fear drove migrants to leave could this “adversely affect the city economy because there’ll be a loss of people working and a loss of tax income?”
The mayor did not answer the question, saying instead, “Well, our city’s bottom line was affected when 220,000 migrants and asylum seekers were placed in the city without any federal assistance that was substantial. We were impacted, billions of dollars.”

Cultural activist Sharon Gordon told Our Time Press, “What I am hearing from folks is a strong concern about their family members who are here, some with green cards, some overstayed visas, and some just have no papers, but have been here for years. They are all worried about what’s coming next for them?” Ms. Gordon is a well-known Jamaican-born radio host, and promoter of Caribbean art and music. “There is lots of confusion and lots of concern out here. There are others who are concerned about the fact that although they are citizens of the USA, they feel like they may also be targeted in this immigration sweep.”

Gambian-by heritage, Bronx-born Yatabarry said, “Muslim Community Network stands firm in its commitment to advocate for and educate our community, ensuring that every immigrant has access to resources, protection, and a safe space to turn to. We urge our leaders to join us in this critical work to ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of immigration status, knows they are valued, respected, and supported.”