Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. He won the election on a campaign to crack down on migration. His running mate, JD Vance, has suggested the deportation operation could remove more than a million people a year. NYC has an estimated population of 560,000 undocumented migrants, and Philadelphia has an undocumented population of 170,000. Trump has also promised to end temporary protected status.

How are undocumented migrants and the organizations and advocates that support them in NYC and Philadelphia preparing for the coming Trump presidency?

How will immigration enforcement differ under Trump’s second presidency from immigration enforcement under his first presidency?

I plan to include scenes from the Welcoming Center and The Good Shepherd Church. I might also be able to go and visit New York again. I want to weave in perspectives from people who worked in organizations during the last Trump presidency and then get a sense of what could happen this time. I want to make sure I have a strong legal explanation for what the current situation is and what might change. I also want to include a sufficient account of the anxiety and stress that comes from just worrying about what might happen.

I know I need a more specific angle, but I’m not sure what that should be yet.

Interviews that I have already done / people I have quotes from:

Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz

Colombian couple who didn’t give me their name at the Lutheran church

Welcoming Center director of community (I lost their name but will find it again)

Welcoming Center woman who is leaving (I lost their name but will find it again)

Migrant at the welcoming center

Giulia at the welcoming center

People I need to contact/am waiting to hear back from:

Julia Preston

Anuj Gupta

Someone from the Legal Aid Society

Someone from The Door

Someone from the New York Immigration Coalition