President Trump's policies on expanding detention and deportation of illegal immigrants

From his first day in office, President Donald Trump declared illegal immigration a national emergency. He promised to implement a key campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Advocates say immigrants facing deportation have the right to due process.

Voice of America spoke with immigration attorney Hannah Flamm, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project.

"The filing of the case marks the opening of the process against you, when you can apply for asylum, to protect the right to remain in the United States. The individual appears before immigration court and if they do not win the case, then a deportation order is issued."

She says the eviction could happen immediately, or it could take a long time.

"It is possible for someone to be deported months or years after the case was filed. There are also cases where someone has been deported within hours or days of entering the United States, or after living here for years. There are also cases where someone has been deported within hours or days of being detained under President Trump's recent policies."

Since January 21, federal authorities have arrested over 8,200 individuals and requested assistance from other law enforcement agencies.

The US government has also expanded the expedited removal method, which allows immigration officers to bypass the courts. Tom Homan is the White House border appointee.

"We need to do more. We are looking for ways to be more efficient to do more."

The US government is using the US base at Guantanamo as a detention center for undocumented immigrants.

"This center will have 30,000 beds for immigrants. President Trump has pledged that the most dangerous individuals will be sent there ," says Homan.

Meanwhile, legal challenges have begun. A federal judge in New Mexico recently blocked the transfer of three Venezuelan immigrants to Guantanamo. Activists have sued the U.S. government for holding detainees at Guantanamo without access to lawyers or family members.

"It's the first time in the history of the United States that the government has detained individuals in America and sent them to Guantanamo ," says Hannah Flamm, an immigration attorney.

A Department of Homeland Security official told VOA that individuals who have received final removal orders, including violent criminals, are currently being held at Guantanamo. While legal challenges continue, the U.S. government is implementing the removal measures./ VOA