NEW YORK, USA — Jamaican-American Immigration LawyerThose here have warned their undocumented compatriots to take seriously Donald Trump’s threats to deport millions of illegal immigrants should he return to the White House after tomorrow’s presidential election.

With the race terribly close hours before the final day of voting, according to opinion polls, the former president could still eke out a victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, lawyers said.

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

Arguing that undocumented immigrants do not have much recourse to the law, Golding advised those Jamaicans to be prepared to “fight their case in immigration court, keeping in mind that each person’s case is unique and that it may be necessary to apply a different option to fight each one. case”.

Jamaican-born Irwine Clare, who heads the Caribbean Immigration Services (CIS), which has helped many Jamaicans and others navigate their immigration status, also suggested that “Trump’s rhetoric and deportation plans should not be taken at face value.” the light one.”

Clare said that even Dreamers, a category of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, are also threatened by Trump’s deportation plans, even though many have gone to college, established businesses or are forming families.

He was also concerned that a deportation on the scale contemplated by Trump could cost Jamaica dearly in terms of reduced levels of remittances.

Both Clare and Golding urged Jamaicans in the United States who have the right to vote to do so, hinting that a Harris administration would not be as draconian as that of Trump, whose previous regime has advocated ending migration in chain, the means by which most Jamaicans migrate to the United States.

Trump has made the deportation of illegal or undocumented immigrants a centerpiece of his campaign, accusing the Biden/Harris administration of allowing millions of illegal people to come to the country.

“They are murderers, rapists and bad people who are poisoning the blood of our country,” he has consistently 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.

During the election campaign, Harris has responded that a bipartisan border bill negotiated and piloted by Republican Senator James Lankford was scuttled by Trump, who persuaded Republicans in Congress to vote against the measure.

Harris and others have accused Trump of taking steps to ensure that the administration could not campaign on the issue as a success for its immigration policy. The bill would have provided increased funding, additional border patrol agents and more judges to deal with migrants seeking asylum.

Regarding undocumented Jamaicans living in the United States, there is no data confirming their numbers, but many are believed to have been in the country for more than a decade. It is also believed that most entered the country legally (for example, on a visitor visa) but overstayed their time.

He Observer He couldn’t find anyone willing to discuss his 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 contemplated by Trump “Congress would possibly have to get involved, as it would require changes in the laws. Even then there are things you can do by executive order. “It is therefore imperative that undocumented Jamaicans take advantage of what is at stake and take protective measures where possible.”

One thing to consider is the situation of undocumented Jamaicans with one or more children born in the United States and what their fate would be if the father is deported, Golding said.

For immigrants who want to argue that they could be hurt or even killed if they are deported, Golding said, “asylum could be considered. But he warned that such claims would have to be proven.

“My advice is to seek the services of a qualified attorney and avoid the advice of those on the street corner, as you could end up in deeper trouble,” Golding said, adding:

“Whatever the situation, the likelihood of the former president carrying out his deportation plans, should he return to the White House, should not be taken lightly, as there are warning signs.”

Doug Stone, an immigration attorney in Westchester County, New York, who counts many Jamaicans among his clients, said undocumented immigrants who pose a threat to public safety, national security or border security risk are the ones who The more they should worry about Trump’s deportation plans.

Commenting on the issue, New York-based immigration attorney Winston Tucker was skeptical that Trump could reach the level of mass deportation he talks about, suggesting that “this is his trump card to return to office.” Oval”.

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

Tucker said he believes that could be the case this time again, “as it will take a lot of resources to do what the former president is proposing.” He said there is also the issue of prosecutorial discretion: a process by which those deemed deportable would be given priority based on their individual case.”

He also warned undocumented immigrants not to let fear drive them into the arms of unscrupulous practitioners in their effort to be on the right side of the law.