PHOENIX (AZFamily/AP) — The new Trump administration is taking shape with an emphasis on a form of mass expulsion of undocumented migrants, as was promised throughout the Republican campaign.

President-elect Donald Trump took the first step in implementing the plan by appointing a controversial former immigration official to head border policy: Tom Homan, who worked under the Obama administration and was acting director of ICE during Trump’s first term.

At this summer’s Republican National Convention, Homan issued a stark warning to undocumented immigrants.

“As someone who spent 34 years deporting illegal aliens, I got a message,” he said. “You better start packing now.”

Homan downplayed the idea of ​​mass immigration raids, preferring to promote immigration enforcement operations in workplaces.

Arizona experienced a similar policy.

“During the time of SB 1070, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, where they were doing a lot of raids and work raids, we saw our economy recover more slowly than other states,” said José Patiño, a DACA member .Deferred action for child arrivals) recipient who now works for Alientoa nonprofit organization working with undocumented, DACA and mixed-status families.

In 2005, then-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio launched a large-scale sweep targeting primarily Latino communities and businesses to arrest undocumented workers.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the crackdown unconstitutional after immigrant rights groups fought back.

“It’s a mix of emotions,” Patiño said. “A lot of people are scared, some are terrified, some are sad.”

Patiño fears the impact will be much greater this time around.

“There’s 25 percent of the workforce in agriculture and it’s made up of undocumented workers,” he said. “If this were to happen, we would surely see an increase in inflation. People think prices are high now, they’re probably going to go up even more.”

During a “60 Minutes” interview before the election, Homan called suggestions of mass neighborhood raids or building camps to detain people “ridiculous.”

“You focus on public safety and national security threats first, because those are the worst of the worst,” Homan said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” Homan also said ICE would take steps to implement Trump’s plans in a “humane” manner.

“This will be a well-targeted and planned operation carried out by ICE personnel. The men and women of ICE do it every day. They’re good at it,” Homan said.

Another point of concern for Patiño is Homan’s statements that “families can be deported together.”

Patiño fears that children who are U.S. citizens but whose parents are undocumented may also be forced to leave the country.

When asked if there was a way to carry out evictions without separating families, Homan said: “Families can be deported together. » He also said that workplace immigration enforcement operations – which the Biden administration has largely halted – would be “necessary.”

As of 2018, 330,000 undocumented immigrants lived in Arizona, a figure that does not include about 2,200 people brought to the country illegally as children, commonly known as “Dreamers.” There are also nearly 40,000 other people who could benefit from protection.

“We’re talking about a family of about half a million Arizonans, we include parents of mixed status, undocumented, DACA recipients, children of U.S. citizens. So that’s a significant part of the state that could disappear,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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