With fears a Trump presidency can erode protections for undocumented immigrants in the Bronx, home to some 250,000 undocumented immigrants, city officials and legal experts are utilizing every stipulation to stave off any removal of rights. They’ve also underscored that the process of deportation is easier said than done.

The panel of experts, convening at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, told reporters of the ethnic and community press that immigrants with undocumented status should begin preparing for the worst case scenario: deportation. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to deport 3 million undocumented immigrants, stirring anxieties and apprehension toward a presidency that could see immigrant communities torn.

Whether pandering or real, Mr. Trump’s avowals prompted experts to undocumented immigrants to consider a “safety plan” that could steer undocumented immigrants away from deportation.

“People should turn their fear into action,” Alina Das, an immigration attorney sitting on the dais, said.

Some helpful tips include:

• Collect all your original documents related to your immigration status, any interactions with law enforcement, and a contingency plan should you get arrested. “Often you will be asked by a lawyer…about your history, about family members, this includes birth certificates of your children making a plan with your children if God forbid you are arrested by immigration officials,” Das said.
• Always keep original documents on hand. Do not give them to anyone else unless it’s someone you trust.
• For those who can’t afford an attorney, the Cuomo administration has recently started a legal defense fund for undocumented immigrants who may face deportation. A cadre of colleges, universities, law firms, legal associations and advocacy groups have joined the new fund, overseen by the Office for New Americans.
• ActionNYC, a city service which offers legal advice to undocumented immigrants, is also available by calling (800) 354-0365.
• Do not sign any legal documents pertaining to immigration status without the presence of an attorney or if you’re unclear of what you’re signing, Das said.
• Avoid un-licensed attorneys who swear to solve all your immigration issues, including those who speak one’s native language, according to Jojo Annobil, an immigration attorney and panelist. Camille Mackler, an immigration attorney with the New York Immigration Coalition, said con artists will exploit the fears of undocumented immigrants by charging for fake services. In one instance, one bilked an immigrant out of $9,000 after falsely convincing the victim they can clear up their immigration status. “We know that it’s happening. People are preying on these fears right now,” Mackler said. “And we also are concerned that individuals who aren’t properly trained, who aren’t licensed to practice law, are going to be trying to fill a gap in what they perceive is a gap in their communities.”

Among the major questions that went unanswered was whether President-elect Donald Trump will nix the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an executive order President Barack Obama instituted in 2012, which offers protections to undocumented children who illegally arrived to the United States before 1997 and have since carved a productive life in the states.

“It is possible that when the president-elect comes into office, he could easily do an executive office to renege on DACA,” Alizabeth Newman, an immigration attorney and panelist, said. “The least that could happen is that nothing happens; that people have work authorization and it expires and that’s it–there’s no renewals. Another thing that could happen is it could be invalidated as of the day the order is reneged. Or what people are most fearful of is that the information that has already been collected on DACA recipients will then be passed on to the enforcement branch and proceedings can begin.”

Whether that happens, New York City is prepared to defend the undocumented. Among the louder supporters for undocumented immigrant rights is Mayor Bill de Blasio. At a news conference, Mr. de Blasio said. “If the federal government tries to deport law-abiding New Yorkers who have no representation, we will step in. We will work and build on the work of the City Council to provide these New Yorkers with the lawyers they need to protect them and their families.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.