Anxiety is high for many following President Trump's executive orders targeting immigration, citizenship, and border security.
Local immigration attorneys said that both undocumented people and those with protected status in the U.S. are fearful about what could happen. These escalating concerns may have contributed to long waits at one Bay Area post office where people were trying to get passports.
Saturday, a long line of people waited at the Robertsville post office in San Jose. A resident named Jonathan said he arrived before 6:00 a.m. that day and had been waiting for three hours for a walk-in slot for a passport appointment.
"There’s only 15 spots that are available towards the public, but I got 19th which is kind of frustrating," he said.
Jonathan added that he plans to travel to Mexico next month and was trying to get his new passport before then.
Another man in the line at the post office, who declined to share his name, had just gotten his residency the previous week.
"Definitely, the next thing you want is to get your passport," he explained. "So I went online to see if I could book an appointment, but everything was booked for the next four weeks."
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Saturday evening, the USPS website for scheduling passport appointments showed that at Robertsville and the five nearby South Bay post offices, appointments are all booked out for several weeks (the soonest available appointment we could find was February 20).
In an effort to get help, people have been showing up at post offices for the limited number of walk-in slots available.
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San Jose immigration attorney Patricia Castorena said she has clients caught up in these delays for passports and other documentation right now.
"There is definitely an increase in processing time frames for organizations that do immigration work, passport agencies that process passports -- initial and renewals," Castorena said. "All of that is a consequence of the current policies of the [Trump] administration, people are afraid of the enforcement activities and want to have proof of their legal status so that they’re safe from being detained potentially or being caught up on something they weren’t supposed to be caught up in."
Castorena said even those who have citizenship or protected status in the U.S. have been asking her for help with getting their documents in order. She is encouraging clients to look through their documentation, from work permits to permanent resident cards to passports, to ensure their information is up-to-date.
"The most important thing someone can do in this situation is be informed," Castorena said.
Andrew Newcomb, an immigration attorney in San Jose, said he is advising clients to be cautious right now.
"I think it would be advisable right now for even U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to have a passport card, a passport book, or their green card on them at all times," Newcomb said. "At the very least, have a picture of that, so an ICE officer could look it up at a moment’s notice."
For those who are filing for renewal on their documents or status, Newcomb also recommends keeping the receipt for that renewal filing on hand.
Newcomb said he is not surprised people are rushing to get their documents in order.
"People are terrified to go outside of their homes, even since the ICE raids prior to Trump even taking office, especially now," Newcomb said.
Newcomb added that he is telling his clients it will likely take a few months to understand what patterns of immigration enforcement will be under the Trump administration.
On Sunday, a local USPS spokesperson said, "While there is a lot of interest and appointments are booked quickly, this is not a delay in processing, but a greater number of appointments scheduled through our online Passport scheduler than walk-ins.
USPS noted that walk-in appointments for passports are available at participating locations on a first-come-first-served basis, and appointment availability will vary by site. USPS also said customers can call walk-in passport locations to inquire about any cancellations or new openings.