Local attorneys and community advocates are bracing themselves for a second Donald Trump presidency.

The president-elect said he’ll carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history — and has even promised to use the military to help that effort.

“There’s federal law that basically explicitly states that the military is not to be used domestically to enforce laws within our own country,” said Carla Casas, attorney with Casas Immigration. “If he does try to do that, there’s going to be lawsuits filed, I can imagine immediately, because that would be illegal.”

Casas’ firm has seen an influx of calls from clients and an increase in panic after Trump’s military announcement. She reminds her clients that Congress would have to act in order for his threat to become a reality. However, the Republican Party’s control of the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Supreme Court also contribute to immigrants’ growing concerns.

“We’re talking about something that would be so extreme that’s never happened here in the U.S.,” Casas said. “It would be changing a law from, I believe, the 1700s, 1800s. This is not something simple that Congress will just say, ‘Yep, we’re going to represent that.’”

Though the likelihood of Congress approving military action for deportations seems slim to some, others still remember what the last Trump presidency looked like for immigrants.

Former ICE Director Tom Homan, named “border czar,” said he intends to enforce strict deportation policies nationwide, targeting sanctuary states and cities — places that have enacted laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants.

Community advocates are advising people how to interact with ICE and other law enforcement agents if they are targeted.

“If someone knocks on your door, you don’t necessarily have to open the door,” said Nubia Willman, chief programs officer of Latinos Progresando. “Limiting information that you’re giving out freely is always helpful. If you’re in a mixed-status family, you have to make sure that you’re prepared, so that if you are having to engage with an ICE agent or you are detained, you know what your next steps are going to be. Do you have an immigration attorney? Does your family know how to contact them? Those are the things that folks really need to get prepared for.”

Willman said Latinos Progresando is in the process of speaking with its partners and figuring out what the next steps will be — mainly analyzing what worked in 2016 and what didn’t so the organization can better serve its community.

Casas and Willman said one of the biggest advantages clients tend to forget is they do have the right to remain silent and should not speak until they have proper representation available.

Willman cautions people to be aware of schemes, such as people impersonating attorneys to target immigrant communities.

Though law enforcement agents are required to show a warrant signed by a federal judge before entering private property, community members are still concerned about the possibility of workplace raids occurring.

“What we saw in 2018 was this fearmongering of visiting workplaces and also pulling people over when they were driving, and then asking them about their immigration status,” said Jose Vera, executive director of the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project (SSIP). “Folks were confused as if it was police officers or if it was ICE agents asking them for this information. Reminding people they have the right to remain silent until they speak with an attorney is going to be critical.”

SSIP partners with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). They are in the process of compiling a Know Your Rights curriculum and plan to present the information in a series of in-person and virtual presentations across Illinois. They are partnering with schools, churches and other locations to ensure the information is spread vastly.

Vera reminds people ICIRR has a family support hotline where those targeted can report their interactions with law enforcement agents.

Willman and Vera both continuously remind members of their community of protections put in place for them by government officials. The Illinois Trust Act aims to foster confidence between law enforcement agencies and the state’s immigrant communities by ensuring that interactions between immigrants and law enforcement do not lead to immigration detention or deportation.

“What we should be (doing) as community members and residents is going to these elected leaders and government officials and saying, ‘What is your plan to keep us safe?’” Willman said. “It’s not just about the immigrants that live in Chicago, but all of our due processes because how do you prove you’re a citizen if you’re stopped by ICE?”