The Politics of Fear and Immigration

It’s all about the politics of fear. Every week the Trump Administration announces new regulations about immigration. They hit the headlines and are shared with remarkable rapidity all over Facebook. Some seem minor, some seem like they’re designed to stop a single immigrant from ever stepping into the United States again, some just seem unnecessarily cruel.

Last week, the Administration announced they would seek to deport people here for life-saving medical procedures. Lives, as was readily documented in the media, would be lost. That, like many of the Trump’s Administration immigration orders was quietly walked back yesterday.

Quietly and barely reported behind a major hurricane in the Southeast.

It’s all created an atmosphere of fear for immigrants – certainly the immigrants we represent every day. “What new thing is going to happen tomorrow that’s going to affect my status? ” “My children’s’ status?” “My relatives waiting to come the the U.S.?”

Those are constant themes we hear every day. And valid considering that most of our clients now feel they are living in a country that doesn’t want them.

This, of course, is the result of two years of constant rhetoric from the White House. It’s easy to focus on. But, it’s not the total story of what is happening to immigrants in the U.S..

We see the tangible effects of all the rhetoric every day. It’s nothing nearly as overt as threatening to deport people here for medical care. It’s much more subtle. It goes beyond the fear.

Every day we see cases – sometimes years of work – denied over little mistakes that even a year ago would have been continued while the deficiencies were fixed. Small mistakes made by people doing their best to get through paperwork that has grown exponentially since 2016.

There’s no leeway, there’s no sympathy.

We ask our clients to put aside the fear, as hard as it can be, and focus on the little things. Focus on helping us complete every scrap of paperwork as perfectly as possibly. Work with us as we put together every detail we can to support your case.

If you’re trying to file anything yourself – don’t. Pick up the phone and call us. Please.