Local immigration attorney says he’s been busy since presidential election

A local immigration attorney tells Channel 11 he’s been busier than ever since the election.

“It’s over a hundred calls a day. It’s all day long,” Pittsburgh-based immigration attorney, Joe Murphy told Channel 11.

Since Donald Trump won the presidential election and has claimed that he will spearhead the largest deportation operation in American history, Murphy’s seeing more business.

“We’re getting calls, some with a reasonable level of, and expected level, of concern. A certain portion of migrants are terrified,” he added.

Murphy told Channel 11 that many of his clients are in the process of becoming citizens. They’re waiting for asylum interviews, green cards or working visas.

Their concerns vary from longer approval times for their status, to the elimination of federal immigration programs.

“They have an investment into this country and not in their home country. The time they spent here, building a future they thought they were going to get here… They weren’t building a future at home. It’s a double whammy if you pull the carpet out from them,” he added.

If Trump’s deportation plans come to fruition, Murphy says the small towns surrounding Pittsburgh could be impacted the most.

“These migrants are moving into those small towns, where if you keep your head down, and work hard, they don’t care that you don’t have your work permit yet,” Murphy said.

One of those towns that made national headlines is Charleroi, where Murphy has worked extensively with immigrants to secure their legal status.

“The big business in Charleroi is food processing. There are places in the entire shadow economies that are running on migrant labor. If you really start deporting the wrong people too quickly, it could destabilize industries,” he said.

Channel 11 reached out to our local Immigrations Customs Enforcement office and asked if they have received any instruction on how to go about this process.

A spokesperson said they aren’t making a statement and if we have questions to reach out to Trump’s transition team. At this point, we have not received a response.

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