In the days following the majority of the nation’s decision to re-elect Donald J. Trump as president, Reel Urban News sat down for an exclusive interview with veteran immigration attorney Shan Potts. The discussion focused on the president-elect’s promise to conduct widespread roundups of undocumented immigrants and individuals with questionable immigration statuses.
“President Trump in his initial run for presidency used immigration as a major form of his campaign platform and he doubled down on it,” said Potts. “This time there is a lot more support for his positions and he has more ability to carry out some of his positions, which have become more extreme.”
With over two decades of experience as an immigration attorney, Potts has witnessed firsthand the shifting landscape of immigration policy in the United States.
“What I’ve seen with my clients is a tremendous amount of anxiety and a tremendous amount of fear. Over the last 10 years I’ve been in detention facilities, I’ve seen mass arrests, but I think now we’re going to see it on a scale we’ve never seen before.”
Beyond the tougher immigration policies, Potts raised concerns about the economic motives tied to privatized detention centers built to house those targeted by Trump’s proposed crackdowns.
“There are two major players in this game. The day after the election their stock rose over 60 percent. Not only is this a political effort no matter what side of the equation you fall on, it’s about money, it’s about economics. These same private prisons are also the same private prisons that house individuals convicted of drug offenses, a lot of Black and Brown people.
“This is not just an immigration issue. It’s a Civil Rights issue that affects all of us.”
The uncertainty surrounding these proposed raids leaves many immigrants on edge.
“There are many people in our communities who are immigrants that have legal status, but they may have some criminal issue—that information is available through our biometrics. It could be something minor or something very serious. Those people can be rounded up and placed in a detention facility,” according to Potts.
Potts also addressed a common question he hears from potential clients: What should they do if stopped by the police?
“There is a distinction between the right to do something and the power to do something. As you’ve seen in social media: ‘You don’t have the right to do this.’ A person may not have the right to do something but they may have the power to do something because they have the gun.”
For families and individuals facing immigration challenges, being arrested and placed in a detention facility is one of the most difficult experiences, Potts admitted. It’s during these moments that he often receives frantic calls from the children of those detained.
The Southern California-based attorney encourages individuals to be proactive about their immigration status.
“We want to be speaking with an attorney now,” advised Potts. “Asking what should I do now to mitigate any issues and what should I do in case of arrest. Have an action plan.”
Our one-on-one conversation with one of Los Angeles’ most distinguished immigration attorneys concluded in a room adjacent to his office, a space nearly overflowing with case boxes and file folders—each one representing a person or family facing immigration struggles.
“This is only a small piece. This is twenty-something years of real stories and real people. There are lives in these boxes. Each folder represents a family, a grandfather, a grandmother, a child, a husband and wife, a son or daughter. I care.”
