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COLUMBUS (WCMH) Executive orders anticipated later this week from President Trump have local immigrants and refugee advocates concerned about their future.

As early as Thursday, Trump is expected to pause the flow of all refugees to the United States and indefinitely bar those fleeing war-torn Syria. Local families and refugee advocates are worried about whats to come.

My dad, who is very old, like 85 years old, is in Kenya, said Columbus-resident Hassan Omar.

Omar is from Somalia and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. He spent 16 years at the Hagadera refugee camp in Kenya, where his father is now.

We are now very much hoping, maybe before summer, for my mother-in-law to come here, he said. All that hope now is gone.

Omar has been waiting over a decade to reunite with his family and now is worried that day may never come with President Trump in office.

They only survive by the will of God and whatever we send on a monthly basis from here, he said.

Were supposed to be unity together forever, now youre seeing policy coming in and dividing communities, said Burhan Ahmed, director of the Center for Somali-American Engagement.

Its a similar story for countless others who trying to escape war abroad.

The president continues to believe that immigrants, and refugees especially, are a special security risk to this country, said Romin Iqbal, legal director for CAIR Ohio. We know that these are people who are vetted in the extreme.

Iqbal likens todays refugee crisis to World War IIwhen some Jewish refugees were also turned away by the U.S.

These refugees are, as I said, one of the most vulnerable populations on the planet and they have nowhere else to go, he said. They need our help.

The Presidents upcoming order is expected to suspend issuing visas for people from Muslim countries like Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for at least 30 days.

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Families fear in shadow of immigration reform - NBC4i.com

Striking a defiant tone, immigrants and their advocates in Chicago responded immediately to President Donald Trump's executive orders Wednesday to jump-start construction of a border wall with Mexico and strip funding for sanctuary cities.

"Our community is strong and united, and we will not live in fear," said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, executive director of the West Suburban Action Project. "Whatever walls Trump wants to build, we will fight to tear them down."

The comments came at a news conference near the Chicago Immigration Court and Department of Homeland Security headquarters in downtown Chicago shortly after Trump signed the orders during a ceremony in Washington. He had just honored Homeland Security's newly confirmed secretary, retired Gen. John Kelly.

Roughly 50 people turned out to urge city leaders to resist Trump's deportation policies, maintain Chicago's sanctuary status and call on community members to organize.

"We are here to tell the new administration that we are going to fight back," said Jude Ssempungu, a board member at the United African Organization. "We are not going to retreat in fear."

Trump said his executive actions on immigration show that "beginning today," the U.S. will get back "control of its border."

The administration will be working in partnership with Mexico to improve safety and economic opportunity for both countries and will have "close coordination" with Mexico to address drug smuggling, he said.

"We're going to save lives on both sides of the border," Trump said.

The National Border Patrol Council, which represents U.S. Border Patrol employees, praised Trump on Twitter, saying it is "a new day for border security and immigration enforcement."

The union, which said it represents 16,500 employees, endorsed Trump for president.

Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the union, said the group was encouraged by Trump's executive orders.

"It's about time we get this border secured," Cabrera said.

The union feels Border Patrol agents have been constricted "for years," and have been waiting for change, Cabrera said.

"It looks like he's going to hold up his end of the deal and get things done," Cabrera said.

But Trump's orders also prompted criticism, including from national groups.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism released a statement calling the border wall "a deeply misguided means of addressing the very real challenges facing our immigration system."

"Instead of myopically prioritizing border security alone, we need immigration policies that holistically fulfill our national security imperatives, meet the needs of employers and workers, and unite and strengthen families," the statement said.

Local attorneys also expressed dismay over the orders.

Michael Jarecki, vice chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Chicago chapter, said, "It's pretty disappointing the president wants to focus on an enforcement-only approach.

"We need to fix the broken immigration system and find a way and a path forward for individuals who are here," Jarecki said.

At the protest in Chicago, a diverse coalition of immigrant rights and community-based organizations took turns denouncing Trump's orders.

"These policies don't work. They don't make us safer. They do the opposite they make us targets of government policy and of racist hate crimes," said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network. "They make immigrant and black communities in this country unsafe."

Abudayyeh said the event was one of many steps the immigration activists are taking to protect "the most vulnerable targets of Trump's agenda."

"None of this is a surprise. Our communities have been bracing themselves for this announcement for a while now and gearing up for resistance to racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic policies from a president who doesn't have a mandate from the people."

Activists from various organizations including Black Lives Matter Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportations and the Council On American-Islamic Relations also participated in the event. People held signs that read, "Immigrants Are Welcome Here" and "No Ban, No Wall," and "We Will Resist."

"As we fight for change on the federal level, we demand intervention on the local level here in Chicago," said Becky Belcore, of the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center. "Chicago must be a welcoming city for all immigrants and refugees and all targeted communities, and by all, we mean all of our people."

Van Huynh, of Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Chicago, said Trump's immigration policies are a "haunting reminder" of the Chinese Exclusion Act of the 1880s and the Japanese internment camps established during World War II.

"These policies tear families apart and jeopardizes our values as a nation," she said. "I think we're sort of taking steps backwards. A couple of years ago, we were talking about immigration reform, ... and now all of a sudden, we're taking this very expansive role in keeping everyone out."

Associated Press contributed.

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Immigrants, advocates vow to fight Trump orders on wall, sanctuary cities - Chicago Tribune

Few groups face more uncertain fate under President Trump than the Dreamers, the 750,000 immigrants granted work permits and temporary residency since 2012 under Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Trump campaigned on ending DACA, and though he seemed to soften his stance slightly post-electionWere going to work something out thats going to make people happy and proud, he told TIME in Decemberhis spree of Obama-undoing executive orders in recent days has provided little comfort for those whose legal status rides on the program.

Trump, himself, articulated some sympathy for their position (and perhaps an odd disregard of his own power) in that same interview, telling TIME: They got brought here at a very young age, theyve worked here, theyve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And theyre in never-never land because they dont know whats going to happen.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not make Trumps intentions much clearer. When asked about the fate of the program, Spicer said the presidents first immigration priority is to deal with those who are in the country illegally and have a criminal record (i.e not the Dreamers, who have all undergone rigorous background checks). But, he added, Then we're going to continue to work through the entire number of folks that are here illegally.

Theres a bipartisan effort in both houses to address the uncertainty with legislationthe Ban Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow Our Economy, or BRIDGE, Actthat would protect DACA beneficiaries until more comprehensive immigration reform is achieved.

As the BRIDGE bills name suggests, theres a strong business case for keeping Dreamers in the U.S, according to recent studies. The non-partisan Migration Policy Institute has found that work authorization provided by deferred action boosts a workers household income, on average, by 10%.

But such measures also boost the fortunes of those around them. Immigrants' gains in wages and productivity greatly benefit the broader economy, according to work from the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Its research, led by a professor at the University of California-San Diego, estimates ending DACA would cost the country $433 billion in growth over 10 years, including an annual $11 billion hit to California alone. Other states with large Dreamer populationsincluding Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and Washingtonstand to lose more than $1 billion in GDP per year.

The Immigration Legal Resource Center, meanwhile, estimated in December that ending DACAand theoretically removing hundreds of thousands of Dreamers from jobswould cost American employers at least $3.4 billion in terms of turnover and hiring expenses and reduce social security and Medicare tax contributions by $24.6 billion (half of which would have been paid by employers).

For now, those losses are merely hypotheticals. As of Tuesday, US Citizenship and Immigration Services continued to accept and process DACA requests.

A version of this article appears in the February 1, 2017 issue of Fortune with the headline "Are 'Dreamers' Worth Billions to States?".

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Trump's First Days Keep Dreamers in Immigration Limbo - Fortune

WASHINGTON - Talk of bipartisan immigration reform is growing again on Capitol Hill, even as President Trump is set to push his border wall and a crackdown on sanctuary cities.

Leading the way is a not-so-familiar face, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Hes been talking with fellow lawmakers about an overhaul, among them Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Miami.

There is a great deal of anxiety among our immigrant communities, especially in South Florida, Curbelo said Wednesday. After so many years of heated debate, it's time for Congress to come together and produce results. Senator Tillis is working with both parties to try and build a broad proposal that will tighten border security and enforce our immigration laws, while also providing certainty and relief for immigrants who have been contributing to our country's economy. I applaud his effort to build consensus on a solution and I look forward to continuing to work with him on this issue.

Tillis plan includes tougher security and enforcement but also legal status for millions of undocumented residents.

For Democrats, this may be one issue where theyre as tired as I am of seeing the parades and not getting to the game, Tillis told the Wall Street Journal.

Tillis was elected in 2014, after the failed Gang of 8 bill died. An author of that legislation, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, is keeping a distance from the talks.

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Rep. Carlos Curbelo joining immigration reform effort - Tampabay.com (blog)

Lawmakers fear Trump could use the information Dreamers provide on their DACA applications to deport them. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

Judith Jimenez was already house hunting when Donald Trump won the presidential election. She decided to buy a house anyway.Now she risks losing it if President Donald Trump reverses Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

Judith Jimenez was already house hunting when Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. She decided to go ahead and buy anyway.

Nowshe risks losing the house, and everything else she has worked for, if President Donald Trump reverses Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.

"It would definitely put a stop to our dreams, for now," saidJimenez, 35, a Phoenix resident whose parents brought her from Mexico City to the U.S. when she was 11."But I guess we would do what all immigrants have done throughout history, which is try to survive."

Surviving won't be easy.

Ending Obama's immigration actionswould revoke work permits and deportation deferments forJimenez and more than 752,000other young peopleapproved for Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.That means Jimenez would no longer be able to work legally in the U.S.

If that happens, Jimenez, adental assistant, said it will be a huge struggle to afford the $830 monthly mortgage payment on the $144,000 house she bought at the end of November for her and her 12-year-old son.

MORE:In-state tuition for 'dreamers' under fire in Arizona Court of Appeals

After being on a waiting list for nearly two years, Jimenez said she was recentlyaccepted to enroll in the dental hygienist program at Phoenix College. But if she loses her work permit, she said she likely also won't be able to afford the tuition, not only because shewon't be able to earn a living legally, but also because she would no longer qualify for in-state tuition under Arizona law.

On top of that, she would have to worry againabout being deported back to Mexico, even though she grew up in the U.S.

Losing deferred action "would just mess up everything," she said.

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Trump hadpromised to roll back many of Obama's executive actions on his first day in office, including the controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump has called the program unconstitutional, and critics have labeled it a form of amnesty.

Trump was sworn in as president on Friday. It's possible he could direct his administration to end the program anytime.

He would have two options for ending the program, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a law professor at Cornell University.

The least bureaucratic and most lenient would allow people who have received work permits through the program to use them until the permitsexpire and not let them renew them, he said.

Or he could end the program immediately. But under immigration regulations, that would likely require sending termination noticesto all 752,000 people who have received work permits through DACA and giving them 15 days to reply, he said.

"It would take some time to implement whatever decision President Trump takes," Yale-Loehr said.

It would definitely put a stop to our dreams, for now. But I guess we would do what all immigrants have done throughout history, which is try to survive.

In anticipation of losing their work permits, some "dreamers" are trying to saveas much money as they can. Others are looking into going into business for themselves. Still others are looking into moving to Canada, or another country where they will be able to continue their careers. Many also said they would have to resort to finding jobs with employers willing to pay them off the books.

Advocacy groups plan to pressure Trump to keep the program, and are planning protests if it ends.

"I know that the only way personally to move our community forward is to speak up and continue telling our stories," said Juan Escalante, 27, who has deferred action. He is digital campaigns manager at America's Voice, a national organization that pushes for comprehensive immigration reform. "We are not going into hiding."

Eliminating the program would help satisfy supporters who voted forTrumpbecause of hiscampaign promise to bring back American jobs and crack downon illegal immigration.

At the same time, he could further alienate many Latinos already turned off by Trump's campaign comments about Mexicans and undocumented immigrants, as well asAmericans who sympathize with the plight of so-called dreamers who came to the U.S. through no fault of their own and for all intents and purposes are Americans.

Asurvey of 1,308 peoplewith work permits through the DACA program found their hourly wages increased 42 percent, which translated to higher income tax contributions, which benefits all Americans, according to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Through higher wages, people with work permits through DACA have been able to buy cars, homes, and start new businesses, which increases tax revenue to cities and states, the center said. Eliminating the program would "wipe away" $433.4 billion from the U.S. gross domestic product cumulatively over 10 years, the center calculated in a separate study.

In his Time "Person of the Year" interviewpublished in December, Trump showed some sympathy for dreamers, saying,"Were going to work something out thats going to make people happy and proud."

"They got brought here at a very young age, theyve worked here, theyve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And theyre in never-never land because they dont know whats going to happen, Trump told Time.

RELATED: Sen. Jeff Flake bill would 'dreamer' extension to enforcement

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus toldFox News Sunday that Trump may hold off on ending the deferments. "I think were going to work with House and Senate leadership as well to get a long-term solution on that issue," he said.

In anticipation of Trump ending the DACA program, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., have introduced a bill that unlikeObama's executive action would protect dreamers from deportation through legislation passed by Congress. Like DACA,the billwould provide temporary relief from deportation and work permits to undocumented immigrants who qualify.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., meanwhile, has unveiled his own bill to extenddeportation protections to dreamers, coupled with tighterenforcement for immigrants who commit majorcrimes. Flake thinks his bill would have a better shot at getting through the Republican-controlled Congress.

Obama's administration created the programin June2012 as he was ramping up his campaign to run for a second term as president, saying the policy was needed because Congress had failed to pass comprehensive immigration reforms addressing what to do about the nation's 11.3 million undocumented immigrants.

President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, signs his first executive order on health care Friday in the Oval Office. Dreamers are worried about Trump undoing former President Obama's deportation deferment.(Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

Through September, 752,154 people nationally have been approved for the program, and of those, 588,151 have been approved for two-year renewals,according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

In Arizona, 27,211 people have been approved for the program, the sixth-highest number of any state behind California(216,060), Texas(120,642), Illinois(41,256), New York(38,340)and Florida(30,364), according to USCIS.

Members of the Ramos family posed for a portrait outside their home in Memphis shortly before the parents' departure in 2015. From left, front: Isaias Ramos, Cristina Vargas and Dustin Ramos. Back row, from left: Mario Ramos and Dennis Ramos.(Photo: Daniel Connolly/Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Dennis Ramos, a 26-year-old house painter and remodeler in Memphis, Tenn.,said he's seriously considering moving out of the country with his younger brothers, possibly to Canada, if Trump ends DACA.He and his 22-year-old brother are covered under the DACA program, while the youngest brother, 13, is a U.S. citizen.

"I think that's a very likely possibility and that would mean we will become undocumented again," Ramostold the USA Today Network in an interview also published byPublic Radio International. "And that would mean life would get harder again."

They're particularly interested in Canada because it's a developed country. They could transport their vehicles and equipment overland. And Ramoshad also seen discussion on Facebook about Canada's recent decision to lift its visa requirement for Mexicans, making it easier for them to enter the country.

Their immigrant parents returned to Hidalgo state in Mexico on their own in 2015 for personal reasons. If the brothersearned legal status in Canada, they could travel easily to Mexico to visit their parents, something that's hard for them to do today without special permission.

In a worst-case scenario, the government would come after them, he said.

"We have ideas and we have dreams, and they're not likely to happen anytime soon in this country. So now we're looking at our options. Whether it's here, or in Europe, or even back in Mexico."

Genesis Egurrola, 23, a Phoenix resident, works as a legal assistant, earning money to take classes at Phoenix College. Her family brought her from Nogales, Sonora to the U.S. when she was 4.(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

With her work permit, Genesis Egurrola, 23, a Phoenix resident, works as a legal assistant, earning money to take classes at Phoenix College. Her family brought her from Nogales, Sonora, to the U.S. when she was 4. She eventually wants to attend law school but that goal would be derailed if Trump ends the program, she said.

"I would probably lose my chance to work and go to school," Egurrola said.

After Trump was elected in November, Juan Rodriguez, a 24-year-oldMesa resident, began saving as much money as he can in case Trump ends the DACA program.

We have ideas and we have dreams, and they're not likely to happen anytime soon in this country. So now we're looking at our options.

At the time, he was considering buying a house and had even been approved for a mortgage, but decided it would not be a good idea to take on more debt. He already has a $400-a-month car payment on the 2013 Charger he bought with money he earns as afraud analyst for a payment processing company. .

"I knew that it would have been a risk if Trump won," said Rodriguez, who also studiescriminal justice at Mesa Community College. "He promised that he would get rid of DACA, and if he did that, I would have a tough time. It would mean that I would lose my job and I wouldnt be financially stable any more."

After being approved for DACA in December2012, Alely Ponce-Moreno, a 22-year-old Mesa resident, got a job asa restaurant hostess, and then later at two different call centers. A graduate of Dobson High School in Mesa, she has lived in the U.S. since she was 4 months old, when her parents brought her to the U.S. from the state ofCoahuila in Mexico.

With the money she earns working full time, she is able to cover tuition, which is about $10,000 a semester, at Grand Canyon University.

She plans to graduate with a bachelor's degree in business in April.

If Trump ends the program, she plans to earn as much money as she can before her work permit expires so she can finish her degree.

"I would put in as much overtime as I could. Also, I would try and get another job to accumulate as much money as I could," she said.

She is exploring the possibility of using her degree and opening her own business to earn money, if she loses her work permit.

Jimenez, 35, works as a dental assistant and was recently accepted to enroll in a dental hygienist program at Phoenix College. If DACA is reversed, she won't be able to work legally in the U.S.(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

Jimenez, the Phoenix resident who bought a house in November, said she knew she was taking a risk after Trump won the election. Hillary Clinton had promised to keep Obama's immigration action in place and even expand them.

But she decided to buy the house anyway.

"Our lives have to continue," she said. "We cant just stop and see what is going to happen."

MORE: Phoenix Union High School District:We support DACA students, 'dreamers'

If Trump ends the DACA program, she said she will probably try find a job somewhere that allows her to work illegally without a permit.

That won't be easy in a state like Arizona, where employers are required to use E-Verify, afederal online electronic program, to check the employment status of every workerthey hire. But sheguesses many other dreamerswill do the same.

"We find ways to work but its not fun," she said. "You just take any job you can. You cant complain. You cant really look for something you like to do or want to do. You look for something to surviveto pay your bills."

Daniel Connolly, a reporter at the Memphis Commercial Appeal, contributed to this article.

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How 'dreamers' are preparing in case Donald Trump ends Obama immigration actions - AZCentral.com