Fear high in local immigrant community after election

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Fear is high among the immigrant community following the presidential election, prompting San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee to hold a unity gathering at City Hall on Monday.

“We’ve got to come together,” Lee said. “We’ve got to stand as one great city.”

Lee was joined by elected officials at city hall and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus for the unity gathering. He renewed his promise that the city will care for and protect all immigrant and LGBTQ families. Lee’s message was aimed at those with anger, frustration, and fear.

“Our city’s never been about that,” he said. “We’ve been a city of refuge, a city of sanctuary, a city of love. That’s what made us strong.”

The message comes a day after President-elect Donald Trump’s first television interview where he talked about immediately deporting violent criminals, among other things.

Trump said he plans on deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records, gang members, and drug dealers, which he estimated could be about 3 million people. Trump said he would make a determination on the other millions of undocumented immigrants who he called “terrific” people after the border is secured.

Immigration Attorney Mark Silverman with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center is not happy about the plans.

“I think it’s a terrible policy and it’s increasing the fear,” Silverman said.

He said the ILRC has been working on informing immigrants of their rights after people have expressed concerns about being deported.

Some believe Trump’s immigration plan is no different than the policy already in place under President Obama. The Obama administration has deported roughly 2.5 million people, more than any other president in history.

However, Silverman said that was over an 8 year period, and not all at once as Trump plans to do.

“Our message to the immigrant community is be calm, but informed,” he added. “Don’t panic.”

Regardless of what happens under the Trump presidency, Lee said the city will stand as one and there will be no walls in San Francisco.