Bertie Ahern shares fears for undocumented Irish in America
Mr Ahern cited the undocumented Irish as one of four ‘problems’ posed by a Trump presidency, along with Brexit, the ‘Apple issue’, and the president-elect’s views on multinationals.
“I wonder and worry about how they’ll be treated now,” Mr Ahern said of the Irish living illegally in the US.
“I feel very sorry for them,” he told the Today with Sean O’Rourkeprogramme on RTÉ Radio 1.
On the same programme, a US immigration attorney said Mr Trump’s plans to abolish ‘sanctuary cities’ could pose problems for Irish in the US.
“There are hundreds of them, they’re Miami, New York, Chicago — highly Irish-populated areas,” Ms Carol Kinsella said.
“A sanctuary city effectively means the following; law enforcement cannot inquire about your immigration, nor do you have to disclose it, so there is a level of protection given to you.
“For example, you’re in a minor traffic accident, the cops pull you over, they can’t then ask you ‘what is your immigration status?’ and then send you onto a detention centre and eventually have you removed, so you’re protected. And Mr Trump the president-elect, has said he wants to get rid of all these sanctuary cities,” she said.
“For the undocumented that do not have relief, they can be deported and Donald Trump has said that in his first 100 days, that’s what he’s going to do,” Ms Kinsella said.
