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SALT LAKE CITY — As nervousness spreads among immigrants stemming from President-elect Donald Trump's plans to bolster deportations of those here illegally, their advocates are countering with a message of their own.
"The fact that you enter without documents does not suspend the fact that you have constitutional rights," said Ysabel Lonazco, a West Valley City immigration attorney. "You have the right to an attorney. You have the right to remain silent. ... If they are going to stop you, there has to be reasonable cause for them to stop you."
Even some naturalized U.S. citizens worry they could be targeted for denaturalization when Trump takes office next month, Lonazco said. As such, she and several other Utah immigration attorneys, joining forces with a handful of community and advocacy organizations, are hosting a series of "Know Your Rights" presentations next Thursday to inform immigrants that they have legal rights, even if they're here illegally.
"We want to prepare our clients, our community for what's to come. We want them to understand their rights. We want them to know what to do if they have an encounter with immigration (authorities), with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)," Lonazco said. Lonazco and Salt Lake City immigration attorney Kendall Moriarty are helping organize the events through the Utah chapter of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association.
The events in three Utah cities — Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden — will go from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday. The Salt Lake City event will be held at the Mexican Civic Center at 155 600 West; the Provo event will be held at the Utah County Health and Justice Building at 151 S. University Ave.; and the Ogden event will be at the My Hometown Ogden Community Resource Center at 555 24th St.
Trump has made immigration a priority amid worries among many that the population of immigrants here illegally has surged, resulting in increased crime in U.S. cities and more illegal drugs on the streets. Apart from increasing deportations of those here illegally, with a particular focus on gang members and those involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activity, he has vowed to secure the U.S.-Mexico border from illegal crossers.
Moriarty countered Trump's negative portrayal of immigrants but also noted that the nervousness in the community doesn't just stem from his critical talk about those here illegally. She noted Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's announcement last week that he'll aid the Trump administration in its efforts, specifically in deporting immigrants here illegally who "pose a threat to public safety."
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Gov. Cox announces efforts to assist in deportations once Trump again takes office
Gov. Spencer Cox announced plans to assist the Trump administration in deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and demonstrate a public safety threat."President Trump campaigned on American nationalism and an 'us versus them' mentality," Moriarty said in an email to KSL.com. "Gov. Cox's recent release just days before Thanksgiving fed into that sense of fear and insecurity, leading many to believe they will be confronted almost immediately upon President Trump taking office."
Like Lonazco, Moriarty said she's also heard from naturalized U.S. citizens worried about being stripped of their citizenship. During Trump's first presidential term, his administration dramatically increased the number of denaturalization investigations compared to his predecessors, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
"So, it's not even just among undocumented communities, but among ... families of mixed immigration status, or even people who have been here and settled, who are naturalized, who should feel secure in that status," Moriarty said. Under U.S. law, naturalization can be stripped if citizenship was "illegally procured," according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
At the three "Know Your Rights" events, immigration attorneys will offer presentations to those present and field questions. Around three lawyers are expected at each event with representatives from immigrant advocacy groups expected at least at the Salt Lake City event as well. Among the other organizations that are aiding in the presentations are West Valley City-based Comunidades Unidas, the Family Justice Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah and My Hometown Ogden.
