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Mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the second presidency of Donald Trump
Mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States began in January 2025 shortly after the beginning of the second presidency of Donald Trump. On January 23, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began to carry out raids on sanctuary cities, with hundreds of illegal immigrants detained and deported. ICE was given permission to raid schools, hospitals and churches.[15][16] Fears of ICE raids have significantly impacted agriculture[15] and the hospitality industry.[17] Trump had previously discussed mass deportations in his presidential campaigns and first presidency. Background2016 campaignIn August 2015, during his 2016 campaign, Trump proposed the mass deportation of illegal immigrants as a part of his immigration policy.[18][19][20] During his first town hall campaign meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, Trump said that if he were to win the election, then on "day 1 of my presidency, they're getting out and getting out fast."[21] Trump proposed a "Deportation Force" to carry out this plan, modeled after the 1950s-era "Operation Wetback" program during the Eisenhower administration that ended following a congressional investigation.[19][20][22] In June 2016, Trump stated on Twitter that "I have never liked the media term 'mass deportation'—but we must enforce the laws of the land!"[23][24] Later in June, Trump stated that he would not characterize his immigration policies as including "mass deportations".[25] However, on August 31, 2016, contrary to earlier reports of a "softening" in his stance,[26][27] Trump laid out a 10-step plan reaffirming his hardline positions. He reiterated that "anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation", with priority given to those who have committed significant crimes and those who have overstayed visas. He noted that all those seeking legalization would have to go home and re-enter the country legally.[28] First presidency (2017–2021)During Donald Trump's first presidency, the number of illegal immigrants deported decreased drastically.[29] While under Trump's presidency, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement conducted hundreds of raids in workspaces and sent removal orders to families, they did not deport as many illegal immigrants as were deported under Obama's presidency. In Obama's first three years in office, around 1.18 million people were deported, while around 800,000 deportations took place under Trump in his three years of presidency.[29] In the final year of his presidency, Trump deported an additional 186,000 illegal immigrants, bringing his total to just under 1 million for his full presidency.[30] Biden presidency (2021–2025)During the Biden Administration, the number of illegal immigrants coming into the US increased dramatically. The total number of people who tried to enter during the Biden term was calculated to be 7.2 million people, a finding rated as "true" by the noted fact-checking website, Snopes.[31][32][33][34][35][36][37] The Snopes article stated: "U.S. Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operations officials recorded encounters with more than 7.2 million migrants who attempted to cross the Southwest border between the time Biden assumed office and the end of January 2024."[35] Republicans cited 64 actions by Biden, including revoking existing policies, which allowed the border crisis. Many independent news outlets confirmed there was a dramatic increase. The Christian Science Monitor noted, "Overall, illegal crossings have increased significantly during the Biden administration, but some Republicans are overestimating the net influx of unauthorized migrants."[38] CBS News reported that migrant crossings reached record levels in September 2023.[39] The mayor of Eagle Pass, Texas, declared an emergency based on the number of migrants arriving every day.[39] In December 2023, Rep. Mark E. Green (R-TN), the Chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, stated that the number of individuals caught by federal law enforcement who were on the terrorist watchlist had "increased 2,500 percent from Fiscal Years 2017-2020 to Fiscal Year 2023. And those are only who we've caught,"[40] In June 2024, Biden announced an executive order that stated the administration would "consider" shutting the border if crossings went above 2,500 per day. Many public officials criticized this proposed measure as still allowing a large influx.[41] In July 2024, Reuters claimed that Biden was deporting more illegal immigrants than Trump had, an assertion which some analysts labeled as false.[42] 2024 campaignThe New York Times reported that Trump planned "an extreme expansion of his first-term crackdown on immigration", including "preparing to round up undocumented people already in the United States on a vast scale and detain them in sprawling camps while they wait to be expelled", and that it "amounts to an assault on immigration on a scale unseen in modern American history". The New York Times also reported that Trump's advisors are preparing a 'blitz' strategy designed to overwhelm immigrant-rights lawyers, and that his plans would rely on existing statutes without the need for new legislation, although such legislation would also likely be attempted. Trump's plans are expected to encounter significant Supreme Court challenges, and engender social and economic toil, especially within the housing, agriculture, and service sectors.[43] During rallies, Trump has blurred the distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, and has promised to deport both.[44][45] Trump has stated he will deport between 15 and 20 million people, although the estimated number of illegal immigrants is only 11 million.[46] The American Immigration Council says that a "highly conservative" estimate of Trump's plan would cost at least $315 billion, or $967.9 billion over a decade, and be unworkable without massive outdoor detention camps. Economic reports from the Brookings Institution and Peterson Institute for International Economics have found that Trump's plans would result in a decrease in employment for American-born workers and result in "no economic growth over the second Trump administration from this policy alone"[47] while other estimates have it shrinking GDP by 4.2-6.8 percent.[48] Trump has also not ruled out separating families with mixed citizenship status.[49] This could affect millions of families, with most illegal immigrants having lived in the US for more than 16 years.[50] Trump has stated that his plan would follow the 'Eisenhower model,' a reference to the 1954 campaign Operation Wetback, stating to a crowd in Iowa: "Following the Eisenhower model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history." To achieve the goal of deporting millions per year, Trump has stated his intent to expand a form of deportation that does not require due process hearings, which would be accomplished by the expedited removal authorities of 8 U.S. Code § 1225; invoking the Alien Enemies Act within the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798; and invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to allow the military to apprehend migrants and thus bypass the Posse Comitatus Act.[43] Trump would reassign federal agents to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deputize local police officers and sheriffs, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and National Guard soldiers volunteered by Republican-run states.[51][43] Individuals would be placed in massive camps constructed with funds redirected from the military budget in case of any refusal by Congress to appropriate funding. ICE raids would be expanded to include workplace raids and sweeps in public places. Following arrest, Stephen Miller has stated that illegal immigrants would be taken to "large-scale staging grounds near the border, most likely in Texas", to be held in internment camps prior to deportation. Trump told a rally audience in September 2024 that the deportation effort "will be a bloody story." He has also spoken of rounding up homeless people in blue cities and detaining them in camps.[51][52] The Trump team will also attempt to overturn the Flores settlement that prevents the indefinite holding of children.[43] .jpg) Trump has promised to reinstate his ban on entry to individuals from certain Muslim-majority nations, and have the Centers for Disease Control reimpose COVID-era restrictions on asylum claims by asserting migrants carry infectious diseases such as the flu, tuberculosis, and scabies.[43] Trump has said he would build more of the border wall, and move thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to the southern border.[53] Other proposals include revoking temporary protected status for individuals living in the United States, including Afghans who moved to America following the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, while those who helped U.S. forces would be 're-vetted' to see if they really did; ending birthright citizenship for babies born in the United States to undocumented parents; using coercive diplomacy by making immigration cooperation a condition for any bilateral engagement; reinstating 'Remain in Mexico'; and reviving 'safe third country' status with several nations in Central America, and expanding it to Africa, Asia, and South America.[43][54] Trump's campaign has stated his intention to expel DACA recipients after his previous attempt failed in 2020 by a 5–4 vote in the Supreme Court in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California. Trump's campaign has not stated whether they will reinstate Trump's former child separation policies.[43] In October 2024, Trump proposed a plan for recruiting and retaining U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents; his plan included a 10 percent wage increase for the agents, $10,000 retention and signing bonuses, and hiring 10,000 new agents.[55] Arrests and deportationsTrump administration positions and policies Following his victory in the 2024 United States presidential election, Trump said that he had "no choice" but to commence the mass deportation upon his assumption to power in 2025.[56] Regarding the financial costs, Trump said, "When people have killed and murdered, when drug lords have destroyed countries and now they're going to go back to those countries because they're not staying here. There is no price tag".[56] The former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump from January 2017 to June 2018, Tom Homan, said that he would "run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen" in 2025.[57] In November 2024, Homan proposed cutting federal funding from states that do not comply with deportation plans.[58] Following Trump's 2024 election victory, the stock price of private prison companies increased significantly, with GEO Group's CEO calling Trump's second presidency an "unprecedented opportunity" during an earnings call.[59][60] As of January 2020, 81% of people detained by ICE were held in private prisons, with ICE contracts accounting for 30% of revenue at CoreCivic and GEO Group.[61][62] In late January 2025, Huffman sent out a memo stating that migrants admitted temporarily by the Biden Administration could be removed.[63] Implementation actionsThe cities listed as targets for deportations included Chicago, New York City, Miami, Denver, and Los Angeles.[64] The Republican governors of 26 states (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming) "remain fully committed to supporting the Trump Administration's efforts to deport dangerous criminals".[65][66] On January 22, it was announced the administration was rolling back an Obama-era directive that had protected illegal immigrants in sensitive areas such as hospitals, places of worship, courtrooms, funerals, weddings and schools. An official making the announcement stated that the Trump administration was not looking to tie the hands of law enforcement.[15][16] On January 23, high-profile ICE raids occurred in Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Miami, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Newark, detaining 538 illegal immigrants. The mayor of Newark claimed that ICE raided a local establishment and detained illegal immigrants as well as citizens, including a veteran, without a warrant.[67][68][69] Hundreds of illegal immigrants were flown out of the US by military aircraft. A White House statement said that "The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals, including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors."[70] A defense official also stated that two deportation flights, both to Guatemala, were flown out that same night with reportedly 81 deportees. Guatemalan officials later claimed that the numbers reported were off and the flights carried only 79 individuals.[70] In January 2025, the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) authorized federal law enforcement personnel from numerous federal agencies to assist in carrying out Trump immigration policies. A memo from acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman provided "the functions of an immigration officer" to several law enforcement agencies within the Justice Department, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The memo, addressed to acting attorney general James McHenry, noted that FBI agents have a role for arrests related to immigration, known as Title 8 authority; this authority was now conferred onto other agencies.[71] In January 2025, news outlets noted that in 35% of immigration cases, the defendants did not appear, even if there was an order for their deportation. About 3.5 million immigration cases were pending at the end of the year in 2024.[72]  In the early morning of January 28, 2025, Kristi Noem United States secretary of homeland security joined multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, to lead a raid on illegal immigrants in New York City. Her department posted a video of the raid on X that showed an apparent arrest, later confirming the suspect was in custody on kidnapping, assault, and burglary charges with an outstanding warrant in Colorado.[73] FlightsThe United States cannot unilaterally send deportation flights to other countries; there must be an established agreement with each nation to accept the deportation flights, and they must have diplomatic ties. Some countries have largely refused to accept these flights, such as China and Cuba, as well as refusal from countries the US has no diplomatic ties to, such as Venezuela. ICE has historically utilized handcuffs and chains to return deportees, which is stated to be a protection measure; however, since the start of the 2025 deportation flights, multiple countries have raised issues with the use of handcuffs and chains.[74] On January 23, 2025, Mexico denied a United States military plane the ability to land, causing the plane to never take off while two others bound for Guatemala did. Later that week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted that Mexico accepted four deportation flights in one day from the ICE Air Operations and government-chartered flights.[75] On January 26, 2025, Colombian President Gustavo Petro barred two United States military planes carrying deported Colombian nationals from landing in the country for a short period of time. Trump and Petro both threatened the other with tariffs; the White House announced later that day that Colombia had agreed to allow the planes to land.[76] Former Colombian president Iván Duque criticized Petro's initial decision and stated on X; "It is urgent that the Petro government put the country above its populist prejudices and anti-US rhetoric and quickly establish protocols for receiving deported Colombians".[77] Native AmericansOn January 23, tribal leaders of the Navajo Nation in Arizona reported that they have received calls and text messages from Navajo people living in urban areas who have been stopped, questioned, or detained by ICE, prompting a detailed discussion of the topic during a Naabik’íyáti’ Committee meeting. State Senator Theresa Hatathlie, who represents Arizona's 6th legislative district, joined the committee meeting and shared her report in the Navajo language. Hatathlie reported to the Council that she received a call about a case involving eight Navajo citizens who were detained for hours with no cell phones or ability to contact their families or tribes. April Ignacio, co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, grew up and lives on the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, whose tribal lands are on both sides of the Arizona-Mexico border and where U.S. Customs and Border Protection has had a presence for decades. Ignacio said that the Trump administration's new policies are taking aim at tribal communities in new and shocking ways, which will draw attention to them and spur tribal responses. After a federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship, the United States Department of Justice, in defense of the constitutionality of the executive order, argued in court that Native Americans did not have birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment because they were not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States, so neither should the children of illegal immigrants.[78] ImpactShortly after Trump took office in January 2025, rumors of mass deportations and fears of increased ICE raids impacted the agriculture sector with massive drops in field workers who showed up for work the day after the inauguration.[15] Some school districts, such as in California, New York, Georgia, and Illinois, have already issued sweeping directives stating that district teachers, officials and administration were not to comply with ICE officials or allow them on school grounds unless they were presented with a valid court-issued warrant.[16] Several schools reportedly had parents and guardians of students calling shortly after the inauguration about concerns of ICE agents being able to access school grounds.[79] EconomicThe American Immigration Council estimated the cost of conducting a million deportations at $967.9 billion in federal government spending over a decade.[80] After it was announced that Trump was utilizing military planes to deport individuals, it was estimated that each flight cost over $850,000. Each of the recent deportation flights had about 80 people on board.[81] Construction, manufacturing, agriculture, service, and childcare are among the sectors that employ large numbers of illegal immigrants.[82][83][84][85] Adam Tooze said that the planned deportations would cause "a series of rolling shocks to a large part of the U.S. economy" and would also affect people outside those sectors by raising prices.[83] Manuel Cunha Jr., the president of the Nisei Farmers League in California, said, "If you took away my workforce, you wouldn't eat. ... The country will stop, literally stop because the food system won't move."[86] Lack of childcare would prompt some people to leave the workforce.[85] Statistics
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