With the Biden administration concluding, immigration advocates and attorneys are working tirelessly to prepare immigrant communities for potential mass deportations and immigration policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, WSB Channel 2 Atlanta reports.
Santiago Marquez, CEO of the Latin American Association, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “The fact that there could be deportations, mass deportations, and workforce raids are things we are telling the community to get ready for,” Marquez told WSB’s Candace McCowan. The organization is advising clients to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including addressing custody, guardianship, and financial planning in the event a parent is deported.
Immigration attorneys, including Marshall Cohen of Antonini and Cohen, are ramping up efforts to secure prosecutorial discretion before the administration shift. Prosecutorial discretion, allowed under the Biden administration, enables Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to agree to dismiss cases for immigrants who meet specific criteria, such as lengthy U.S. residency and a clean criminal record.
“A lot of what we are doing is trying to get in a request for what is called prosecutorial discretion,” Cohen explained. However, he warned that the Trump administration is likely to terminate this policy, forcing attorneys to litigate all cases in court.
Cohen noted the immense challenges in addressing the backlog of cases in Atlanta. “I know they’re flooded, and I know they’re trying to get as many done as possible, but it’s just going to be impossible. I’ve heard that there’s a backlog of several thousand here in Atlanta,” he said.
As the nation braces for potential policy changes, immigration advocates and attorneys continue their efforts to educate and support vulnerable immigrant communities.
Source: WSB Channel 2 Atlanta