Undocumented immigrants told to prepare for any scenario ahead of Trump administration

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- President-elect Donald Trump's cornerstone campaign promise was an immigration crackdown, starting with mass deportations on day one of his administration. At this point, he has yet to release any details or cost estimates. Right now, the American Immigration Council is estimating one-time mass deportation to cost at least $315 billion. With so much uncertainty, it's a worrisome waiting game for about 11 million undocumented migrants and their families living in the US.

"It's heartbreaking because we have to look at the human impact of what's happening," says Matias Bernal, Executive Director of the Education Leadership Foundation.

Matias Bernal is a DACA recipient and the executive director of the Fresno-based Education Leadership Foundation. He says the non-profit is seeing a major surge of people seeking its immigration services.

"Normally, we see 20 to 30 folks coming in, post-election that very next Wednesday we saw about 75 folks coming in," says Bernal.

Immigrant advocates and allies say they are already mobilizing, and Bernal says more plans are in the works.

"Having some sort of hotline or place where people can turn to for immediate needs in the event that there's a potential raid or immigration comes into the Central Valley," says Bernal.

Family separation is the number one concern. The man Mr. Trump tapped for Border Czar, Thomas Homan, said this to 60 minutes.

"Reporter: Is there a way to carry out mass deportations without separating families? Homan responds: Of course there is. Families can be deported together."

During his time leading ICE, thousands of families were separated. Now, Homan says criminals would be the first to go.

"President Trump's been clear. Public safety threats and national security threats will be a priority because they have to be the most dangerous in the country. So, we're going to prioritize those groups," says Homan.

The president-elect has said he would call on local law enforcement agencies to carry out his promise. However, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni says deportation is not their function, and if they are tasked with helping, it would be a challenge due to limited resources.

"I'm not sure how that would work having to reassign us to work a detail like that, but my goals like I said to provide public safety services and make sure those who are breaking the law and those are criminals are held accountable," says Sheriff Zanoni.

In 2020, during Trump's last term, 47 undocumented criminals were transferred to ICE from the Fresno County Jail. In 2021, during Biden's first year in office, 44 were transferred, and last year, 39.

Sheriff Zanoni says he doesn't foresee much impact on the status quo for him or his deputies.

"I know that our population here of immigrants and people that are here possibly illegally, not all of them, in fact, very few of them, are involved in criminal activity," says Sheriff Zanoni.

Zanoni says his deputies serve anyone regardless of status, and no one should be afraid to call them for help.

Immigration attorneys say they're the best line of defense for the undocumented.

"Hearing it from your friends, hearing it from your family, hearing it from notaries is not the same thing as getting individualized consultation for your specific circumstance," says Luis Virgen, Immigration Attorney at Education & Leadership Foundation.

But lawyers say they already don't have enough staff to handle the incoming workload.

"The Central Valley is prepared to take on cases and has been preparing for a few years, but we're nowhere near ready to see the amount of cases that are coming," says Virgen.

The Education & Leadership Foundation is hosting several workshops to inform families of their rights and options. The link is here.

Immigrant service providers are passing out red cards outlining rights for undocumented immigrants. The Immigrant Legal Recourse Center website has them in several different languages.

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