Michigan immigration groups say they’re prepping for Trump’s next term, speak to “panic” in some corners

(CBS DETROIT)During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump pledged significant reforms to the U.S. immigration system. Local immigrant organizations today tell CBS News Detroit they are making every effort to get ready.

Julie Powers, executive director of Immigration Law and Justice Michigan, stated, “Our main goal is to receive as many applications as we can for those programs that we are likely to terminate.”

On the campaign trail, Trump spoke extensively about immigration and his intentions to start mass deportations. Powers said that her clients get nervous when she makes promises like those.

“They’re nervous. Sometimes they are afraid,” she remarked. “I believe it ranges from perplexed to unclear about its meaning. up to the point of blind terror.

The American Immigration Council estimates that there are over 600,000 immigrants in Michigan.

According to Christine Suave of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Centers, their current goal is to resolve as many cases as they can.

“People who are eligible for a work permit should apply now,” Suave stated. “People who are eligible for immigration relief, like asylum or temporary protected status should apply or renew.”

According to Suave, Michigan may suffer greatly if such a sizable population of persons with mixed immigration status were removed so quickly. Construction, agriculture, and even the medical field would suffer. However, in a statement, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) stated that Trump needs to “send a clear signal that people caught entering the country illegally will be detained and deported, not released into the country.”

Additionally, they advocate for the termination of immigration policies that permit foreigners to reside and work in the United States while they pursue citizenship.

“[Trump] must also direct ICE to conduct worksite enforcement investigations of companies that displace American workers and exploit low-wage illegal aliens,” FAIR stated.

Sauve cautions that she anticipates more widespread deportations.

“In order to achieve mass deportations, they’ll be looking to remove any non-citizen, potentially,” she stated.

After covering Michigan’s capital for two years, Elle Meyers joined the CBS News Detroit staff in April 2023. Born in Oregon, Elle graduated from the University of Oregon (go Ducks!) with a double major in political science and journalism, two subjects that have helped her along the way to Detroit.

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