“The way that vulnerable immigrant communities feel about the election is that he has been given license to do whatever he wants to do.” Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz will not say Donald Trump’s name. The Reverend Pastor of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, explains as he cradles a sleeping child, “Whoever is the head sets the tone for the whole body politic.”

Almost two weeks have passed since President Donald Trump won the election to become the 47th President of the United States. In his first campaign for the Presidency in 2016, Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric focused on preventing migrants from reaching the US. He famously promised to “build a wall” on the US-Mexico border. This time, Trump has campaigned on deporting immigrants who are already in the US. Back in May, he told a campaign rally in Freeland, Michigan, “On day one, we will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” In August, incoming Vice President J.D Vance told ABC News’ Jon Karl, “I think it’s interesting that people focus on, well, how do you deport 18 million people? Let’s start with 1 million. That’s where Kamala Harris has failed. And then we can go from there.” Although Trump’s campaign has not fleshed out exactly how his administration will go about mass deportations, immigration activists, lawyers, and aid organizations across the country are bracing themselves for the coming storm. Memories of Trump’s last term in office run deep. This time, however, there will be no surprises.