- President Donald Trump’s inauguration is set for Jan.20.
- The President Elect has been vocal about his plan to deport the millions of undocumented people in the county. An effort Trump says will start on his first day.
- We asked neighbors how they felt about it. Watch video above to hear their responses.
The countdown to President Donald Trump’s inauguration has begun, and mixed emotions are circulating throughout our communities.
“Trump’s going to do wonderful things,” stated neighbor Norm Shinkle. “We need him really bad right now.”
“Are I pleased with the results? “Definitely not,” said neighbor Lorenzo Lopez.
Different perspectives on Trump’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants in the United States have garnered a lot of attention ahead of the President-Elect’s first day.
“On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in history,” President Trump declared.
That’s a promise Trump has repeatedly made during his 2024 campaign. He stated that there are an estimated 11 million undocumented people in the country who should be deported, with undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds receiving priority.
“I have a lot of friends and peers who are undocumented,” Lopez informed me.
Lopez, a Latino American, stated that this is not something he supports. Lorenzo has lived in Lansing his entire life. In 2017, former Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero issued an executive order protecting refugees and undocumented immigrants from law enforcement, citing their contributions to the city’s cultural, social, and economic makeup.
“It has never bothered me, at any time in my life, that someone wants to come here, work, and contribute economically,” Lopez told the crowd.
Then there are people in our communities who have a different perspective. To get that perspective, we traveled to Williamston to speak with Shinkle, a former Republican Michigan Senator who served from 1983 to 1990.
“As far as just opening our borders and letting anyone come on in, we cant afford it,” claimed Shinkle. “It’s costing our entire local government a fortune.” We provide them with food, shelter, education, and medical care. Add it all up, it’s millions, and we can’t even provide that for our own people.
Two opposing viewpoints that appear unlikely to change in the near future.
“The party is over, you have to go home,” Shinkle said. “I mean you’re a citizen in another county, you’re not a citizen in America and you don’t have permission to stay here.”
“Our country is extremely diverse,” Lopez explained. “None of us are leaving; we are part of the American scene.”
