An immigration lawyer on Trump's first month
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Who is Andrea Lino and what does she do?
My name is Andrea Lino, and I am an immigration lawyer.
She's based in Seattle with clients in a bunch of Western states.
I represent individuals who are detained in immigration custody.
How has Trump's immigration policy affected individuals?
Immigration was the central focus of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
When I'm re-elected, we will begin... And we have no choice. The largest deportation operation in American history.
On Tuesday, he'll address Congress and the nation in a major speech where he'll sum up what he's accomplished in his first month. I wanted to know what that month has felt like to someone far outside Washington, D.C., who represents some of the people the administration is targeting for deportation. So I occasionally checked in with Andre Alino over these last weeks, starting in mid-January, just before Inauguration Day.
What are Andrea Lino's experiences under Trump's administration?
I think that not knowing what's going to happen, it's scary.
She told me the worst part was the uncertainty.
But at the same time, I feel that I am in the right place. So I feel pretty privileged to be able to use my work and my knowledge to make people feel safer.
What advice does Andrea Lino offer to her clients?
Before Trump was sworn in, Lina was spending time calming people down and educating them.
I say there is going to be a lot of action. There is going to be a lot of executive orders that sound very scary. But that doesn't mean that is going to happen.
So you're telling people don't believe everything you hear.
Exactly. Don't believe everything you hear. I feel that what they want is like a lot of people get self-deported because they are afraid.
I could imagine someone in your position feeling like, oh, no, not this again. Or this is what I trained for. This is what I live for. Bring it on. Where are you on a scale between those two emotions?
What challenges do immigration lawyers face during Trump’s presidency?
Oh, no, I feel more like, no, this not again. I try to like to have hope in humanity, but I am feeling pretty, pretty tired. And it's not like a great feeling to start for years. And so I am ready to fight. I have the energy, but I feel, I feel sad for what is about to happen.
Consider this. Where President Trump claims success fighting illegal immigration, many people affected by his policies experience chaos and panic. From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro.
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It's Consider This from NPR.
I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute. That I will faithfully execute.
During Donald Trump's first week in office, he signed dozens of executive orders, and many were about immigration.
How did Andrea Lino handle a client's emergency situation?
Today is January 27, Monday.
Exactly one week after President Trump took the oath of office.
Correct.
What's the week been like for you?
It feels that it has been a year. It's just a lot. I don't know where to even start.
Andrea Lino told me about one client of hers in Denver. He was getting cancer treatment. A friend picked him up from chemo and they stopped at a Walmart on the way home. The friend went into the store while the client stayed in the car. Then the client called Andrea and said, immigration agents are in Walmart arresting people.
So all that I was telling him is that, well, you remain in the car. The car is your premise, so you don't open the door unless they have a warrant for your arrest. And my client was obviously pretty overwhelmed and upset, and the friend had the keys for the car. So after a lot of waiting, the friend... And my understanding is that they arrested just one person and it was because the person ran. And it's like the first thing that we tell people is that you don't have to run because then you are giving them a reason to arrest you.
When we asked the Denver Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement about this incident, they told us, quote, Due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are not able to research and respond to rumors or specifics of routine daily operations. In that first week of the Trump presidency, Lino did not see mass arrests or a spike in deportations.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Who is Andrea Lino and what does she do?
0:09–0:21
2
How has Trump's immigration policy affected individuals?
0:21–0:58
3
What are Andrea Lino's experiences under Trump's administration?
0:58–1:16
4
What advice does Andrea Lino offer to her clients?
1:16–2:02
5
What challenges do immigration lawyers face during Trump’s presidency?
2:02–3:32
6
How did Andrea Lino handle a client's emergency situation?
3:32–10:44
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from Consider This from NPR
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