TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — During the first 100 days of President Trump's administration, immigration has been one of the main issues. Just hours after President Trump was sworn in, he signed 139 executive orders, with immigration policies at the top of the list.
"This has got to stop and this is going to be the largest mass deportation effort in history," President Trump said.
The Department of Homeland Security reported this week that more than 142,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported. Pamela Rioles Saeed, a Tucson immigration attorney, said it's been a chaotic, confusing time.
“We are seeing rapid changes in policy almost every day,” she said.
She said one of the biggest changes is the Laken Riley Act, which allows DHS to detain non-U.S citizens if they are charged with things like theft related crimes.
"Which means individuals who are even merely accused of shoplifting are subject to detainment in an immigration detention center," she said.
She said there has been an even closer watch on student visas in the past 100 days.
“Many students in valid visas status with merely a traffic ticket have their records terminated," Rioles Saeed said. “There’s a recklessness to this administration and the feeling that nobody really knows who is let into the country or prohibited from entering the country.”
This week, the administration is in federal court for the cancellation of student visas, even after announcing last Friday it was reinstating records for all students unintentionally caught up in the law enforcement sweep.
Rioles Saeed said her hope rests in the judges and fellow immigration attorneys.
“As time moves on we will continue to turn to the courts. That's what we do as attorneys to make sure due process is followed,” she said.
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Tina Giuliano is a reporter for KGUN 9. She is a native Arizonan and grew up in Scottsdale. Tina is passionate about storytelling and is excited to work telling Tucson's stories. Share your story ideas and important issues with Tina by emailing tina.giuliano@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
