MIAMI (WSVN) - President Donald Trump received a standing ovation during his inauguration ceremony on Monday after standing on his promise to crack down on illegal immigration during his second presidential term.

The President pledged to reinstate his “Return to Mexico” policy, ending the practice of catch and release and sending troops to the Southern border to “repel the disastrous invasion of [our] country”. He added he will enact the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

“I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil,” said President Trump during his inaugural address. “We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.”

In addition, he terminated CHNV, a parole program that provided an alternative pathway by way of the CBP One app for legal entry into the United States for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.

“As commander-in-chief, I have no higher responsibilities than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do,” said President Trump.

Under the prior administration, the CBP One app allowed asylum seekers to request electronic appointments at the Southern border rather than appearing in person.

“We do need immigrants to fill certain jobs and stuff like that and to grow the economy,” said Emiliano Antunez from Westchester. “But then again, we have to control our borders. We have to ensure that we’re not letting in criminals. We have enough of our own.” 

But while he got celebratory cheers and applause from the audience, undocumented migrants in South Florida held their breaths as the possibility for deportation became more apparent.

“So many families are alone,” said Nora Sandingo of the Nora Sandingo Children’s Foundation.

Sandingo volunteered as a guardian for thousands of children across South Florida to prepare families for possible deportations ahead of the inauguration.

“We did a drill of how to protect yourself if the deportation knocks at the door of your house,” she said. “We don’t know what will happen eventually, and we need to prevent those situations.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Marleine Bastien and other South Florida representatives worked to prepare their communities ahead of the crackdown.

“The entire immigrant community of the US is in fear of what’s ahead,” she said. “Most of the population of Miami-Dade County are immigrants.”

Some reports claim communities can start to feel the impacts of these crackdowns as early as next week.

Commissioner Bastien told 7News she has never seen such fear or anxiety from her community. She, as well as other representatives from adjacent communities and organizations, simply ask for the president to “do good.”

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