Local officials predict how immigration will play out during Trump Administration

President Elect Donald Trump made a lot promises about stricter immigration policies while he was campaigning, and for some folks on Delmarva this has raised questions about which of these policies he plans to carry out during his term.

“It was a freak out, people out of nowhere were texting, calling me, calling my office,” says Eduardo Gonzalez, a local attorney.

Gonzalez tells 47 ABC that’s the reaction received from friends and clients over the results of the presidential election. The biggest concern expressed to him was the potential impact on immigration laws in the U.S.

“It’s not just Hispanics, a lot of Haitians calling, people of Muslim descent calling,” says Gonzalez.

He tells 47 ABC folks are worried that President Elect Trump could negatively impact any pending immigration cases or petitions. However Gonzalez says those who qualify for immigration relief and have already applied for it don’t have much to worry about.

“Basically when you put a petition in, it’s just like any other  petition that you do. When you put something in, the law that is applicable is the law that was current at the time of the paperwork submitted,” says Gonzalez.

However if folks have yet to apply, Gonzalez says, “they need to do it before January 21st when he takes office.  Because if they haven’t done it then and president elect trump  decides to make some changes..they’re going to be sitting outside.”

Also, when it comes to how likely it is that a 2,000 mile wall will be built on the U.S and Mexico border

“I tend to think  that’s a hard think to do. I don’t know if the American public will be willing to spend that kind of money on a wall that big,” says Gonzalez.

47 ABC also reached out to Dr. Sam Hoff, a political science professors at DSU, who  also agrees with Gonzalez. He told us over the phone that he doesn’t believe Mexico will pay any of the costs to strengthen the wall. However Dr. Hoff does believe the Trump presidency will invest some money into it.

Although these are all just predictions,  both Dr. Hoff and Gonzalez remind us that we won’t known how immigration will play out until Trump steps into the White House.