Since his inauguration, President Trump has issued nine executive orders that deal with immigration. One seeks to overturn a nearly one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old constitutional right and use the military to seal the border. Trump’s day one executive orders have altered immigrant rights lawyers of a second term just as, if not more, embattled as the first.
Trump’s executive orders have a wide array of goals, which legal aid organizations across the US are prepared to challenge. Especially controversial is the executive order seeking to overturn citizenship by birthright. By far the most problematic of the executive orders, attorneys and immigrant rights organizations are prepared for the anticipated battle over it ahead.
Across the country, judges and attorneys have begun to fight back against President Trump’s executive orders. A federal judge in Seattle blocked the order for 14 days on January 23rd, arguing it violated the 14th Amendment and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Despite this resistance, the judges and attorneys defying the Trump administration still face both practical and political obstacles.
Philadelphia, a city home to about 47, 000 unauthorized immigrants, has some the highest levels of immigration enforcement in the northeast. The city only has a budget of $500,000 to allocate to immigration defense proceedings. The supervising attorney of the Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project, Lilah Thompson, said such an amount is insufficient to assist everyone needing representation.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi stressed the need for cooperation between US officials in immigration enforcement at her confirmation hearing in the Senate. The attorney general emphasized that “American citizens are paying the price” for what she described as a wave of uncontrolled migration across the southern US border. Jo Bondi also warned that the Department of Justice will prosecute any city and state officials who oppose Trump’s immigration measures.
As always, ImmigrationUSA actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, we’re with you every step of the way.