Experts warn that the Trump administration is pushing an unprecedented strategy to reclassify legal immigrants as “unauthorized,” a move that could strip them of their status and even their citizenship.
Apparently, Donald Trump wasn’t satisfied with restrictive policies targeting migrants in irregular situations; now his aim is to limit the rights of those who have complied with every requirement. This could affect more than 2 million people and set a dangerous precedent for how the concept of illegal immigration is defined.
A briefing held by American Community Media (ACoM) delved into the dismantling of the immigration system under the current administration and its direct impact on judges, asylum seekers, and young people protected under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
Professor Hiroshi Motomura, co-director of the UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, described a scenario in which the White House has set its sights on individuals with TPS, DACA, permanent residency, humanitarian parole, and other protections. “They have it today, and maybe in the future they won’t, if the administration gets what it wants,” he warned.
Motomura noted that the current offensive even includes the possibility of reversing already granted citizenships: “The administration has announced that it is trying to redefine what it means to be a U.S. citizen.” The proposed executive order would redefine birthright citizenship and, in practice, strip many people of the citizenship they currently hold.
The political trigger was the recent case of an Afghan refugee who killed a National Guard member in Washington, D.C.—an incident the government used to freeze immigration processes for 19 countries. For Motomura, the justification is questionable: “There are aspects of the announcements that strongly reflect religious discrimination, racial discrimination.”
Beyond the legal sphere, he warned about the psychological impact and the administration’s psychosocial strategy: “The intent is to scare people, to make them feel unwelcome.”
Lawsuits to stop an accelerated dismantling
Attorney Laura Flores-Perilla of the Justice Action Center explained that the government has begun ending parole programs and accelerating deportations through expedited removal, even for people who followed every rule. “It’s unprecedented, it’s cruel,” she said, describing the case Serena v. Nan, in which a beneficiary had her status revoked despite complying with every federal requirement.
Flores-Perilla confirmed that there are already summary deportations of people with legal parole. “These individuals don’t have the ability to fight their case because the removal process happens too quickly.” Still, she highlighted a small victory: a court temporarily blocked this policy for certain groups. “We can say that the legal system is still functioning… but there is a lot of work to do.”
Former immigration judge Jeremiah Johnson, recently dismissed, described a scenario of institutional collapse designed to block access to justice. “We’re talking about people who have to come to court and are afraid to do so,” he warned.
Johnson stated that the White House is attempting to circumvent the law by replacing judges and leaving courts practically empty. In San Francisco alone, he said, “25 judges have retired… the courts are empty.” The result is years-long postponements, stalled applications, and thousands of people trapped in an immigration “limbo” that facilitates prolonged detention and voluntary deportation out of desperation.
He also confirmed internal pressure to reduce approvals: “Judges were pressured to deny more asylum applications,” though he emphasized that some magistrates still act independently. However, he acknowledged that detention has become the government’s central tool: “It is weakening justice within the courts.”
Andrea is a young immigrant from California. She arrived in the country at age five and has lived there for 25 years. Yet her status is now at risk due to a DACA application that has been stalled for three years. “I’m somewhere in between. I’m neither here nor there,” she said. Today, uncertainty affects every part of her life: “Policies aren’t just papers; they shape my day-to-day.”
The young woman, also a human rights activist, highlighted the emotional impact of growing up in a country that now symbolically expels her: “They’re telling us to deport ourselves to a country where we were not raised.
Adelys Ferro, a Venezuelan activist, described an extreme reality for her community. “Detention centers are torture centers,” she said, recounting threats, pressure, and deportations to unsafe countries. “There are people who can’t bear to suffer anymore.” Ferro urged people to seek trustworthy lawyers, but admitted that in this context, finding one is extremely difficult.