Immigration implications of the just concluded United States presidential election

Martins I. Imudia, PhD, the Lead Attorney & Counsel, business and investor immigration unit at the Center for United States Immigration Service, with headquarters in Tampa, Florida x-rays the immigration implications of the just concluded Presidential elections in the United States – The Donald J. Trump Factor.

For many across the United States and the World, including those passionate about defending the rights of immigrants and their families, it has been an immensely difficult days. The dust is just beginning to settle on an exhausting and divisive election season, one fueled by hate speech and savage political threats directed at immigrants and refugees, women, the black community, Muslims, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

The 2016 United States presidential election is, at long last, behind us. While pundits will interpret the significance of the election results for months to come, already clear is the broad public support for sensible and humane immigration policies. In fact, despite the rhetoric on the campaign trail, a range of post-election data show that the majority of Trump voters do not support proposals that would deport massive numbers or immigrants and they are more likely to favour productive immigration solutions.

The United States values of freedom, diversity and inclusion have brought together a robust ecosystem of legal practitioners, organizers, advocates, funders and immigrants, many of whom brought their families to the United States in search of safety and a better life for themselves and their children. On the heels of decades of hard-fought positive advances on immigration law and policy, United States is likely to live and work by these values now, more than ever before.

The President-Elect, Donald Trump, did promise drastic immigration reform as part of his campaign, including his desire to build a wall, deport millions, and close doors to certain prospective immigrants. There are huge uncertainties today as to what will happen to immigrants. The writer’s understanding is that most of the outgoing administration’s executive actions for the undocumented and inadmissible persons are at risk.

However, while businesses and investors have expressed concerns about business and investor visas, it is with a high degree of certainty that the President-Elect will not do anything to jeopardize business and investor immigration which is the bedrock of United States economy. Thus, the investor and business immigration option should be safe as it has been in existence for decades and generally acceptable to both sides of the political aisle. Thus, the Center for U.S. Immigration Services is proceeding with its planned business and investor information session in Lagos on December 3, 2016 at the Colonades Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, for those who are considering expanding their business, buying a franchise in the United States or export of non-oil products. Interested participants may call 081-8888-9041 – Visa Support Center, Lagos, +1-813-298-7222 – CFUIS, U.S.A. or email: info@cfuis.com for registration information.

The President-Elect will have the ability to work towards shaping United States immigration policy, through the regulatory process, executive actions, policy decisions, and by working with Congress. There are many different directions Trump could go. While his conservative party will have majority power over the executive and legislative branches, there are still limits on what they can do. United States has a living Constitution, laws, and a court system that set parameters for government actions. Also, the United States has a strong and vibrant immigrant rights community that will not stand by and allow any part of the government to run roughshod over our nation’s values and commitments to fairness and due process. At this point, it is hard to predict how much of Trump’s campaign rhetoric will actually turn into policy proposals. For many, the most immediate question after Trump’s victory was what will happen to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative?

If Trump ends DACA like he has threatened, he will be revoking the work permits of more than 700,000 young immigrants with long childhood ties to the United States. He will return them to limbo, where they would lose their ability to work and participate in the formal economy, attend college in some cases, and hold driver’s licenses. By doing this, he would also be disrupting communities, workplaces, and families across the country. This seems counter-productive and cruel. No doubt there will be battles ahead but progress on important social issues has never been quick or easy and immigration is no exception. Reference: Immigrant Daily (Oct. 11, 2016). Will Trump Assault Speech Endanger Immigrants?