Immigration worries rise in San Joaquin County after Trump's inauguration speech
LODI — On his inauguration day, President Donald Trump addressed his campaign promise to tackle immigration and deport people who are in the United States illegally.
Trump has said he wants to get rid of the legal seeking asylum process, among other things, that could make it more difficult to become a citizen.
After listening to the president's speech, many in California's Central Valley feel they now know the direction Trump wants to take immigration.
Many undocumented immigrants and advocates in the San Joaquin County community of Lodi listened a little bit harder as Trump spoke on Monday — many of them said they are now filled with more fear.
"The early beginning of today, I'm seeing it's bringing up fear. Why? Because in his speech, he's again bringing this up," said Luis Magana, an advocate for undocumented immigrants.
In order to stop fear, advocates like Magana had told illegal migrants in information meetings on recent ICE raids not to panic.
"A lot of people didn't go to work, didn't take their kids to school," he said. "A lot aren't going to the store to do their shopping."
On the campaign trail, Trump said: "We will begin the largest deportation in American history."
Trump has said he wants to stop the asylum program, which has brought nearly four million people to the country legally in its entirety and has around two million open cases.
Trump also directed the federal government to stop recognizing birthright citizenship. That us something Magana said is already scaring future mothers in the county.
"There's a lot of families expecting to have babies, and some have told me, they want to have their baby in their house because they're scared of going to the hospita, of being separated," he said.
With ICE raids happening around the country, immigration lawyers in San Joaquin County like Galina Dorris want people to be prepared in case they do have run ins with ICE or homeland security.
"Do not sign anything and call your lawyer," she said.
Another problem some lawyers see down the line is the amount of immigration cases that this will cause, with there already being a three-to-four-year backlog.