Donald Trump's Mexico immigration policies welcomed by border patrol agents
Updated
For many of the thousands of border agents that patrol America's southern frontier, US President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration orders bring long-awaited relief.
"Euphoria is too strong a word, but there is a feeling of gladness," southern California Border Patrol union representative Christopher Harris told the ABC from San Diego.
Three thousand kilometres away along the border in McAllen, Texas, agent Chris Cabrera agreed.
"People at the agency seem to be excited that something is finally going to change that we have someone working for us, not against us," he said.
They are most excited about Mr Trump's order to end a controversial Obama administration policy labelled "catch and release".
It allowed undocumented immigrants to reside in the US pending a court hearing, causing many to disappear into the population.
Mr Trump has ordered they be kept in detention, and if they are found ineligible to stay they will be deported.
"Detaining people and removing them, that is when they are really going to start getting the message," Agent Harris said.
"No matter what the smuggler is saying, if your neighbour is back and he says 'wow, it didn't work' — it doesn't matter if the smuggler says 'hey, I'll get you there' — you are going to come to the realisation you might get me there but the US is going to remove me."
Mr Trump has also ordered that authorities "promptly remove" immigrants who do not have valid documents.
Logistics of increasing deportations a 'substantial' obstacle
Pastor John Fanestil, who holds a weekly cross-border church service through the fence that separates the US from Mexico near San Diego, says many undocumented migrants are feeling "anxious and fearful".
He says they are now relying on local authorities across the United States — many of whom have vowed to stand by their undocumented populations, despite the threat of losing billions in federal funds.
"Here in California many people are hoping and trusting that California state leaders will continue to resist any attempt by the Trump administration to implement a 'deportation force'," he said.
He said there was another glimmer of hope for undocumented immigrants — the sheer difficulty of deporting huge numbers of people.
There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Former president Barack Obama deported a record-setting 2.5 million people during his two terms.
"We are in fact deporting people in huge numbers already, and the sheer logistics of increasing that number substantially are an obstacle," Pastor Fanestil said.
Mr Trump's orders are sweeping and expensive — building a wall will cost billions, hiring thousands of new border and customs agents will take time, as will finding places to house the thousands of immigrants who will be detained.
The President's executive orders are not automatically translated into grassroots level policies.
"There is tonnes of management between that level and the agent on the ground, so I think it is going to take a little time to be formulated, put in some new policies and reach the ground level," Agent Harris said.
"I'm sure we will figure it out — it's not putting a man on the moon and we've done that quite frankly already too."
Topics: us-elections, immigration, community-and-society, world-politics, united-states, mexico
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