Immigration advocates gear up to fight Trump promises in places that voted for him

McALLEN, Texas — Inside the brightly lit law offices here of immigration attorney Alex Martinez, the front desk has been buzzing with activity. Positioned on a quiet street corner just 8 miles north of the bridge that separates the U.S. and Mexico, the law firm has seen a notable uptick in phone calls and in-person visits from people looking for an immigration attorney. Here in Hidalgo County, where President-elect Donald Trump won by just under 3 percentage points last month, many of those customers say they or their family members voted for him. Until this year, Hidalgo County hadn’t voted Republican for president since 1972. Now, it’s one of 14 counties on or near the border that voted for Trump — many for the first time in decades as well. “They believe that he is good for business,” Martinez said. “It seems to be more important that they have money coming into the family than them securing a legal status or not being removed.” In the 35 states that a 2022 Pew Research Center report identified as having undocumented immigrant populations above 50,000, more than half went for Trump this election. This leaves immigrant rights groups, immigration attorneys and undocumented immigrants in those states in a difficult position: gearing up to fight upcoming immigration policies espoused by Trump, supported by a majority of voters in their region.