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Houston's immigrant community split over threat of mass deportation

Some Latinos in Houston are terrified over the threat of mass deportation while others welcome the idea.

HOUSTON — Many Latinos said they're worried after President-elect Donald Trump won the election and will retake office in January.

They're in fear that they or their loved ones will be deported once Trump gets to the White House.

At the same time, other Latinos who voted for Trump support his ideas of deportation.

But what can people really expect?

In the heart of Houston's East End, you’ll find Chef Victoria Elizondo at her Mexican restaurant.

The James Beard-nominated Chef said she’s living in fear after Tuesday's election.

"I am scared for a lot of my family members," Elizondo said.

She said many of her family members are undocumented. She said she's also worried for herself because she came to the United States illegally when she was a child. She said the Deferred Action Childhood Arrival allowed her to get a work permit.

But, she said, her work permit needs to be renewed and under Trump's promises, she's scared she won't be approved.

"It could affect the restaurant where it could close down," she said.

On the other side of the spectrum are Latinos like Eduardo Lopez de Casas who voted for Trump.

"We were elated," he said.

The reasons behind his vote were the economy, his pro-life stance and immigration policy.

He said he feels like mass deportation is a good idea.

"Doesn't bother us at all. It's such a burden they have caused to our country," he said. "They can go down to the immigration tomorrow and start the transactions and do it the appropriate way."

It's something immigration lawyers say isn't as easy as it sounds. Depending on the situation, it can take anywhere from seven to 23 years, in some cases.

"It takes years. The only way you can get the status really quickly is if you enter legally with a visa and marry a citizen. Other than that, everything takes a really long time," attorney Naimeh Salem said.

Political science expert Mark Jones said mass deportation is likely not going to happen.

"The last thing Trump wants during the honeymoon of the administration is the PR nightmare of American children separated from non-American parents as they are being deported," Jones said.

He said we could see more people being turned away at the border, though.

Elizondo said she's trying to remain positive and believes in the strength of the immigrant community.

"I know that we are very resilient, smart people. We always find the light," she said.

Experts said that President Joe Biden won the Latino vote by 17 points in 2020. This year, Trump won the Latino vote by 11 points.

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