♪♪ >> ERIC: AS WE DISCUSSED WITH PROFESSOR PEARSON, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS HAVE BEEN SWIFT, AND AMONG THEM IS ACTION ON IMMIGRATION, A TOP ISSUE IN HIS CAMPAIGN.

THERE HAS BEEN UNCERTAINTY FROM IMMIGRANTS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS ABOUT HIS CALLS FOR MASS DEPORTATIONS.

THIS WEDNESDAY HE SIGNED THE LAKEN RILEY ACT, NAMED AFTER THE SLAIN 22-YEAR-OLD NURSING STUDENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, INTO LAW AFTER BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

WE TAPPED AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT ON THE ISSUE.

SHE ALSO TEACHES AT MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW SCHOOL, ANA POTTRATZ ACOSTA.

WHERE ARE WE HERE IN THIS WHOLE THING?

>> WELL, UM, IT'S HARD TO EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.

AS WAS MENTIONED PREVIOUS LEACH, THERE HAVE BEEN A FLURRY OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND VARIOUS ACTIONS BY THE RELEVANT AGENCIES.

SO DEPARTMENT OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

AS WELL AS HE NEW ACT THAT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS, THE LAKEN RILEY ACT.

SO A LOT OF CHANGES AND A LOT OF STUFF KIND OF COMING AT US VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

>> Kaomi: UT YOU COULD SAY, I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT DID SAY THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF SO MANY OF THESE ORDERS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DEPORTATIONS.

WERE THERE ANY PLANS AFOOT TO TRY TO DEAL WITH ANY IF OF THIS?

>> BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED DURING HIS FIRST TERM, WE HAD A FAIRLY GUIDE IDEA OF WHAT PROBABLY WAS GOING TO BE COMING.

SO I WOULD SAY IN THE MONTHS OR THE TWO MONTHS, GIVE OR TAKE, BETWEEN THE ELECTION AND THE INAUGURATION, A LOT OF THE WORK ON THE PART OF IMMIGRATION LAWYERS WAS SORT OF TAKING STOCK OF WHERE THINGS WERE WITH ALL OF OUR CLIENTS, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, TRYING TO GET THEM IN A MORE SECURE FORM OF LEGAL STATUS, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

AND THEN ALSO, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER WITH LOCAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES,ER AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, TO PREPARE FOR WHAT WAS LIKELY COMING.

>> Kaomi: HIS MUST BE INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL FOR ALL INVOLVED.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WELL, AND I THINK -- AND I CAN SPEAK MORE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A LAWYER.

IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT CLIMATE WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH VOLATILITY AND THERE'S SO MANY CHANGES COMING AT US VERY QUICKLY, TO ADVISE CLIENTS.

AND TO TRY TO PREPARE, BECAUSE ADVICE THAT WAS GOOD OR SOUND LAW OR, LIKE, A GOOD STRATEGY ONE DAY CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE THE NEXT.

SO JUST ONE EXAMPLE FROM THIS WEEK.

THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON WEDNESDAY THAT NEW HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY NOEM WAS RESCINDING AN ORDER THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED BY OUTGOING SECRETARY MAYORKAS TO EXTEND TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR VENEZUELANS AND VENEZUELAN CLIENTS WHO THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD LAWFUL STATUS GUARANTEED UNTIL SEPTEMBER OF 2026 NOW COULD LOSE THEIR STATUS AS EARLY AS APRIL OF THIS YEAR.

>> Eric: HOW DOES THIS AFFECT REFUGEES?

AND LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES, CATHOLIC HARITIES WHO DO SETTLEMENT, WHAT'S THAT PART OF THE PICTURE?

>> WELL, SO ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS ACTUALLY HALTED THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM AND ARRIVALS THAT IS RUN THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

SO THE LAST EFUGEES TO ARRIVE IN THE UNITED STATES HAPPENED I BELIEVE ON FRIDAY THE 17TH OF JANUARY.

SO THE LAST BUSINESS DAY BEFORE THE INAUGURATION.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED THAT'S RELEVANT TO REFUGEES AS PART OF ONE OF THE STOP WORK ORDERS AND SOME OF THE FUNDING CUTS THAT WERE PUT INTO EFFECT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WAS ACTUALLY A STOP WORK ORDER THAT WAS SENT TO RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES, AND JUST TO EXPLAIN A BIT, FOR REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AGENCIES UNDER THE PROGRAM, THEY'RE MANDATED TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC SERVICES ON A TIMELINE OVER THE FIRST 90 DAYS THAT A REFUGEE IS RESETTLED INTO THE NEW COUNTRY.

SO HELPING THEM GET A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD.

HELPING THEM GET AN APARTMENT.

AND FIND WORK.

SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AND WITH THE STOP ORDER, THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THEY WON'T RECEIVE FUNDING TO PROVIDE THOSE MANDATORY SERVICES.

>> Kaomi: DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW THIS AFFECTS FOREIGN STUDENTS?

>> SO IT'S HARD TO SAY.

I KNOW -- I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY OR EARLIER TODAY.

RELATED TO FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S AFFEAFFECTING INTERINTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IS IF THEY ARE FOUND TO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PRO-PALESTINIAN PRO TESTSES, THAT COULD BE GROUNDS NOW FOR REVOKING THEIR STUDENT VISA STATUS.

9 OTHER THING TOO, AND THIS IS MORE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES, THIS SAME EXECUTIVE ORDER RELATED -- THAT SUSPENDED THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HAS ALSO BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAKE UNDER XAMINATION ALL COUNTRIES VISA PROCESSING AND SECURITY CHECKS ASSOCIATION IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY PLACED ON A TRAVEL BAN LIST.

SO THAT'S I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT COULD BE COMING WITHIN THE NEXT 45 DAYS OR SO.

>> Cathy: I CAN SEE HAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY THIS IS SO CONFUSING, EVEN FOR AN ATTORNEY LIKE YOURSELF.

>> YES, AND I THINK, TOO, JUST THE WAY THAT IT'S CHANGING -- OR HOW IT'S CHANGING SO RAPIDLY, SO JUST TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

I WAS BUSY TEACHING CLASS, AND I HAD A MEETINGS WITH CLIENTS.

SO I WAS LATE ON HEARING THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE PROPOSED DI INTELLIGENCE PROPOSED DETENTION CENTER AT