As Donald Trump prepares for his second term, San Luis, Arizona, a border town with millions of crossings annually, is facing uncertainty. According to ABC15, reactions from residents are mixed regarding the president-elect's proposed immigration changes, which include mass deportations and the potential use of military forces at the border. Store manager Angelica Felix maintains a hopeful outlook, saying, "I think everything will be fine," despite acknowledging that "a lot of people are scared." On the other hand, a daily commuter and migrant worker Bea shared, according to an interview, that the proposed changes could mean "more work for people with contracts like us."
Meanwhile, the reality is setting in for immigrant rights groups across the nation, bracing for what they predict will be an escalation in Trump's hardline policies. "I'm expecting it to be exponentially worse than the first term," Erika Pinheiro, director of the immigrant rights group Al Otro Lado, told Al Jazeera. Trump's advisers, like Stephen Miller, have suggested an ambition to reshape the US immigration landscape through mass deportations and attacks on birthright citizenship, which many warn shall unfurl in January.
In the face of long wait times at San Luis's port of entry, a project financed by the bipartisan infrastructure law aims to double its lanes, aiming at completion by next fall. This construction might alleviate some of the daily strains felt by commuters but offers little relief to the fears of broader changes on the horizon. Jose, another field worker crossing daily from Mexico, told ABC15, "They're saying there will be a lot of opportunities, but we'll see what happens."
Humanitarian workers, already on the front lines, fear their efforts could become criminalized. "Putting water in the desert is not a crime. Humanitarian aid is not a crime. But they can turn it into one, if they choose," Dora Rodriguez, who works on both sides of the Arizona border, explained to Al Jazeera. With Stephen Miller's recent appointment as Trump's deputy chief of staff, the table is set for a robust campaign against undocumented immigrants, bringing both worry and outrage from advocacy groups anticipating a tumultuous future.
The concerns raised by these groups reflect the ongoing challenges at the intersection of immigration policy and human rights. While it remains uncertain whether President Trump's second term will lead to the mass deportations he has suggested, the community in San Luis, along with human rights organizations, are preparing for potential developments. As the political landscape evolves, residents of the U.S.-Mexico border region continue to navigate the shifting dynamics of immigration policy.
