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Plenty is bound to change in the first year of a new president, no matter who is elected. And Donald Trump is certainly more of a change agent than any president in recent memory.

On immigration, things are in a state of flux. But how on-the-ground policy has changed and will change under the Trump Administration is unclear. Anecdotal evidence has popped up of increased raids and deportations of domestic violence victims, farm workers and community linchpins across the nation, but there is also increased media scrutiny on the issue due to Trumps extreme campaign rhetoric.

We know Trump has ordered stricter enforcement of immigration laws, more detention and deportation and has plans to hire 15,000 more ICE agents. He has also promised a new travel ban from war-torn countries to replace a previous iteration that was declared unconstitutional.

In Umatilla County, immigration will be the primary issue in 2017. Perhaps it has been for a few years already.

Fear from the presidents promises has resonated locally, especially in immigrant communities in Hermiston, Milton-Freewater and Umatilla. Social unrest has rippled through each town, and school districts are dealing with increased absences caused by families distrustful of government in any form even public schools.

There have also been strains of celebration by those hoping the harder stance on people living here illegally will cure some of our social ills.

Much of the growth in Umatilla and Morrow counties is due to immigrants both documented and undocumented, some with full citizenship, others with work visas and still others with no legitimate paperwork. Those communities are an irreplaceable part of our economy. We have a lot to lose with a change in immigration policy, but a lot to gain, too.

This newspaper has reported on immigration issues multiple times since the election. It has been surprising to see the basic rights many readers want to rip from noncitizens Miranda rights, the right not to incriminate yourself and the right to attend public schools, for instance.

The Fourteenth Amendment addresses citizenship questions and the rights of citizens of this country and those who live here. It reads in part: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The equal protections clause may be the most powerful and defining words in all of the U.S. Constitution. It is among the most commonly used and most commonly fought over phrase in a court of law. The phrase has helped decide landmark cases like Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade and Bush v. Gore.

We can and should argue about changing our immigration laws and how best to enforce them, but we should allow everyone the same human rights that American citizens have. That cannot be up for debate.

Yet the debate is here. And its worth noting that its existence is directly tied to governments failure to solve a clear problem. For decades, both political parties admitted our immigration system was a wreck, and neither did anything about it.

That is one reason the presidents views, equal parts extremist and overly simplistic, have gained traction. Building a multi-billion dollar beautiful wall along our 2,000-mile border with Mexico is patently absurd, but neither political party has put any meaningful effort toward a better plan.

When our government cannot solve problems that exist for generations, it causes enmity and anger from citizens. Sometimes those citizens revolt at the ballot box, and those in control realizes they should have taken action long ago, before things got out of control.

Lets hope it doesnt get to that point. Eastern Oregon has a lot to lose.

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Immigration reform will affect Oregon directly | As Others See It ... - NRToday.com