Immigrant advocates across the nation are urging states and local jurisdictions to take steps to protect undocumented residents ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. A growing number of Democratic leaders are loudly opposing cooperation with immigration authorities, but some remain wary, fearing such messages could backfire and lead to their communities being targeted by ICE.
In Somerville, Massachusetts, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is proud of her city's longtime sanctuary status, but she is afraid of boasting about it. Sommerville was declared a sanctuary city back in 1987 during the height of civil wars in Central America and welcomed Salvadorans and Guatemalans who were seeking asylum.
In an interview with Mass Live, Ballantyne shared her concerns about Trump's immigration plans and reaffirmed her commitment to protecting immigrant families from shifting federal immigration policies.
"The mass deportation of both legal immigrants and undocumented workers teased during the campaign will tear apart families, harm people, and restart inflation, driving up the costs of food, housing, healthcare, and more," she said.
She also voiced out her fears of her city and other sanctuary jurisdictions becoming a target in Trump's deportation efforts.
"Our worry is that the incoming administration will focus on headline-grabbing hateful acts in all blue cities and states rather than getting to work on the real needs of our country," Ballantyne stated.
As Trump's January 21 inauguration approaches, sanctuary leaders face the delicate challenge of reassuring their communities while avoiding excessive attention as they try to protect undocumented residents from Trump's promised "largest deportation in U.S. history."
During Trump's first term, similar fears spread across the country, but his deportation efforts fell short. This time, Trump's administration is expected to have full support from all three branches of government, potentially allowing his political agenda to advance further than it did in his first term.
Returning border czar Thomas Homan has pledged to send additional resources and ICE agents to sanctuary cities that oppose cooperating with immigration authorities. He and Trump have also hinted at possibly withholding federal funding from these jurisdictions.
Homan has criticized Democrats opposing his deportation plans, accusing them of failing to remove "public safety threats" from their communities. "That is your number-one responsibility, so smarten up and work with us," he said.
While experts question the feasibility of deporting around 11 million people, citing obstacles such as high costs, staffing, and possible human rights violations, Homan remains confident about successfully reaching the number
"I'm going to be extremely successful because I'm following failure," Homan told the New York Post, referring to the experience he gained in Trump's first term.
Trump-Vance Transition Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed the administration's commitment in a statement sent to MassLive. "President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history," she wrote.
Republican leaders' pro-deportation messages focus on the removal of undocumented criminals, but immigration experts argue that the U.S. does not have 11 million undocumented criminals, meaning deportations will affect others as well. Advocates worry that the term "criminal" could be used to classify immigrants who crossed the border illegally without committing other offenses.
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