NEW YORK, USA — Jamaican-American immigration lawyerThose here warned their undocumented citizens to take seriously Donald Trump’s threat to deport millions of illegal immigrants if he returns to the White House after tomorrow’s presidential election.

Advocates said the former president could still pull out a win against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, with the race unbearably tight hours before the final day of voting, according to opinion polls.

“While it may not be possible to pick up hundreds or thousands of people, put them on planes and fly them out of the country, it is important for undocumented Jamaicans to take steps to protect themselves,” said Florida-based attorney Wayne Golding. Jamaica Observer in an interview.

Arguing that undocumented immigrants do not have much recourse to the law, Golding advised such Jamaicans to be prepared to “pursue their cases in immigration court, keeping in mind that each person’s case is unique and a different option may need to be implemented to deal with each person.” case”.

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

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

He was also concerned that a deportation on the scale Trump contemplated could cost Jamaica dearly due to declining levels of remittances.

Both Clare and Golding encouraged Jamaicans in the United States to have the right to vote, implying that the Harris Administration would not be as draconian as Trump, whose previous regime advocated an end to chain migration from which most Jamaicans emigrated. United States.

Trump has made deporting illegal or undocumented immigrants a key part of his campaign, accusing the Biden/Harris Administration of allowing millions of illegal people to flow into the country.

“These are murderers, rapists and evil people who poison the blood of our country,” he repeatedly told large crowds at his rallies across the country. Most of the country’s illegal immigrants enter through the United States’ southern border with Mexico.

On the campaign trail, Harris said the bipartisan border bill negotiated and piloted by Republican Sen. James Lankford was rejected by Trump, who persuaded congressional Republicans to vote against the measure.

Harris and others have accused Trump of acting to ensure he could not campaign on the issue as a success of the administration’s immigration policy. The bill would provide more funding, additional border patrol officers and more judges to deal with immigrants seeking asylum.

There is no data on undocumented Jamaicans living in the United States to confirm their numbers, but most are believed to have been in the country for more than a decade. Many are believed to have entered the country legally (e.g. on a visitor visa) but overstayed their stay in the country.

Observer We couldn’t 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 undertake the level of deportation Trump contemplates, “Congress would probably have to get involved because it would require a change in the law. Even then there are things it could do by executive order. So Jamaicans who are undocumented need to take advantage of what’s at stake and take protective measures where possible.” It is mandatory”.

One thing to consider is the situation of undocumented Jamaicans who have an American-born child or children and what their fate will be if the parents are deported, Golding said.

For migrants who may want to claim they could be injured or even killed if deported, Golding said: “Asylum may be considered. But he cautioned that such claims must be proven.”

“My advice is to seek advice from a qualified lawyer and avoid taking advice from cornermen as they may run into deeper problems,” Golding said.

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

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

Commenting on the matter, New York-based immigration lawyer Winston Tucker was skeptical that Trump could achieve the level of mass deportation he talked about, saying “this is his trump card to the Oval Office.”

He noted that in the past, the Department of Homeland Security did not have the resources to remove significant numbers of undocumented immigrants, leading to an estimated one million people remaining in the court system when Trump left office.

Tucker said he believes that may be the case this time too, as “it would require a large amount of resources to do what the former president is proposing.” There was also the issue of prosecutorial discretion, he said; “This is a process by which those deemed removable will be prioritized based on their individual cases.”

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