In the aftermath of the historic reelection of former President Donald Trump, immigration advocates have been anxiously preparing for what has been promised to be an extremely intense time for anyone undocumented. All throughout election season, Trump has made no secret of his vision for immigration enforcement. His calls for “mass deportations,” his insistence on the mobilization of the U.S. military for sweeping immigration raids, and his promises to be tougher on immigrants than ever before have led many to become understandably afraid that any existing legal protections for noncitizens will go out the window. Worry is coursing palpably through immigrant communities, and the need for competent, available immigration attorneys extremely high and growing.

The problem is, there aren’t enough advocates. The availability of immigration attorneys, especially those who practice in the context of removal proceedings in immigration court, has long been stretched too thin, and quality attorneys are even fewer and farther between. Non-profit organizations that offer pro bono legal representations are largely at capacity, and they have been so for years as immigration court backlog has consistently climbed. As of January, the percentage of individuals who had any representation in removal proceedings had dropped from 65% five years ago to a measly 30%, and those unable to find any attorney capable of doing anything to help them with their immigration case are only growing in number.