President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in for his second term Monday, promising a new era of mass deportations and an overall immigration crackdown. With mass deportation operations in large urban cities like Chicago and New York City expected to kick off as soon as Tuesday, experts and immigration advocates are now sharing pieces of advice to undocumented immigrants and how they can protect themselves.
On the eve of his inauguration, at a rally in Washington D.C.'s Capital One Arena, Trump said he plans to sign executive orders quickly and launch "the most aggressive, sweeping effort to restore our borders the world has ever seen." "Very soon, we will begin the largest deportation operation in American history," he added, a phrase he constantly repeated in his 2024 re-election bid.
The incoming president's border czar, Tom Homan, promised similar actions, saying he expected raids to deport and detain undocumented migrants as soon as Tuesday, focusing on people considered a security or safety threat.
In anticipation of the expected ICE raids, experts and advocates took to X to provide some advice, and potential steps, to undocumented migrants who may be targeted in the mass deportation efforts over the next four years.
This may be the most important post you read today.
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) January 20, 2025
As Trump takes office & pledges mass deportations, below is a shareable film series written *by immigrants for immigrants* on how to safely defend against ICE.
Feeling helpless? Here’s something you can do to help. Read on:
Scott Hechinger, a civil rights attorney and the founder of Zealous, a nonprofit organization that trains public defendants and activists to use media to shape criminal justice policy, posted a thread on X with a list of resources.
"If ICE is outside your door, don't panic and remember: you have rights. Don't open the door. Ask to see a warrant. ICE can't enter without one," one of Hechinger's posts read.
The thread encourages migrants to "know your rights," a phrase often uttered by experts to ensure undocumented migrants are entitled to a certain degree of protections and respect.
"Rights don't just stop at the doorway," another post by Hechinger reads. "If ICE makes their way inside your home: you have rights."
The attorney's post comes as cities with a large number of undocumented immigrants host "know-your-rights" sessions, aimed at empowering undocumented immigrants. In New York City, for instance, such sessions have seen a surge ahead of Trump's inauguration and promised deportation raids. The sessions educated attendees on how to interact with federal immigration enforcement officers.
It remains unclear how the mass deportation operations, as well as border security plans, will take place, given that there has been little to no information on the budget and logistics of the ambitious goals. However, among the first orders of business the incoming president has promised includes declaring a national emergency at the border, allowing the defense secretary to deploy members of the armed forces and National Guard to the border.
Originally published on Latin Times
