“We are witnessing a radical transformation of what it means to be in this country legally.”
That warning from Hiroshi Motomura, co-director of the UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, set the tone for a recent ethnic media briefing hosted by ACOM (American Community Media). The panel included Motomura; Jeremiah Johnson, former immigration judge in San Francisco and VP of the National Association of Immigration Judges; Adelys Ferro, Venezuelan American Caucus, Venezuelan activist; Laura Flores-Perilla, staff attorney, Justice Action Center; and Andrea, a DACA recipient and youth activist who spoke anonymously for safety.
The discussion focused on a series of legal and administrative shifts under the Trump administration that are dismantling previously lawful pathways and protections for immigrants. These include revocations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the ending of humanitarian parole programs, the rollback of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and even the reexamination of green cards and naturalized citizenship.
The briefing came days after a politically charged flashpoint: a former Afghan refugee and ex-CIA-trained operative shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. In its wake, the administration announced a visa freeze affecting 19 countries—many with large immigrant diasporas—and suspended Afghan immigration processing altogether. But beyond the headlines, the administration has been methodically pushing to redefine legal status itself.
“It’s not just about preventing new immigrants,” said Flores-Perilla. “It’s about retroactively erasing the status of those already here—and that’s unprecedented.”
Motomura explained that lawful immigration status in the U.S. has historically included a wide range of categories: permanent residents (green card holders), DACA recipients, TPS holders, asylum seekers, refugees, and humanitarian parolees. Many of these statuses come with work authorization, and most recipients have lived in the country for years, sometimes decades.
Under current policies, however, the administration is letting key protections expire, refusing to renew work permits, and litigating to strip existing status. Motomura pointed to efforts to reopen asylum and refugee cases—sometimes years after approval—with the intent to revoke green cards and, in some instances, denaturalize U.S. citizens.
“They had status yesterday. Today, they don’t,” said Jeremiah Johnson, highlighting the sudden and destabilizing nature of the changes.
Andrea, the DACA recipient, voiced what many feel but fear to say publicly. “I did everything I was told to do. I registered. I paid fees. I’ve worked and studied. Now, I live day-to-day, unsure if I’ll lose everything overnight.”
TPS holders are facing similar insecurity. Though designed to protect people from deportation to countries in crisis, TPS is being terminated for multiple nations under the claim that conditions have improved—even when international reports say otherwise. This includes nationals from El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and others.
Humanitarian parole, a critical avenue for Cubans, Venezuelans, Ukrainians, and Afghans escaping conflict, has been quietly curtailed. Ferro noted that many Venezuelans who entered under parole now face status loss and potential deportation.
“These are people who fled state violence and economic collapse,” she said. “Now, they’re treated as if they never belonged here.”
The administration is also promoting a shift in public framing—one that casts all temporary or humanitarian-based status as tenuous or illegitimate. Advocates fear this will have a chilling effect, discouraging eligible immigrants from applying for lawful programs due to fear and confusion.
“The erosion of trust is by design,” said Motomura. “When people no longer believe that following the rules will protect them, the entire system collapses.”
Legal experts estimate more than two million immigrants could lose or be stripped of status under these cumulative changes. The implications stretch beyond immigration courts, affecting schools, workplaces, and families across the U.S.
Flores Perilla added, “This isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a civic and humanitarian crisis. It’s about whether lawful status in this country means anything at all.”
At the close of the briefing, the message was clear: this moment represents a turning point in U.S. immigration. A place where legal status, once a marker of stability, is increasingly treated as a privilege that can be revoked at will.
And for those living in that uncertainty, there is no roadmap—only resilience.
#ImmigrantVoices #LegalNotIllegal #ProtectTPS #DefendDACA #RefugeeRights #TrumpImmigration #ImmigrationNews #StatusStripped
