Former President Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan could lead to widespread family separations, putting approximately one in three Latinos at risk, according to an immigration and criminal justice advocacy group.
Latino leaders voiced alarm on Tuesday, warning that this hardline policy could result in families being “ripped apart.” They highlighted the potential human and social consequences of such a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The advocacy group FWD.us estimates that nearly 20 million people could be directly affected by Trump’s policy, either facing deportation themselves or separation from immediate family members. A similar family-separation policy was abandoned during Trump’s first term due to a significant public backlash.
Democratic California Senator Alex Padilla expressed concern, stating, “Maybe there are children who have a really good friend who is an immigrant who, because of Donald Trump’s promise, risks being deported.” He added that many essential workers, including teachers and small business owners, could be impacted by this policy.
Senator Padilla pointed out that around four million U.S. citizens have at least one undocumented parent, raising fears that these individuals could be torn from their families.
Mass deportation is a central aspect of the GOP’s 2024 platform, with Trump promising to remove millions from the country as soon as he takes office again. He referred to this initiative as “Operation Aurora,” named after the Colorado city that has faced challenges with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
On October 11, Trump declared, “November 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America,” emphasizing his commitment to sealing the border and ending migrant flights.
While Trump has not provided many details about how this mass deportation would be implemented, he has pledged to use the National Guard to assist with deportations. This has raised concerns about the legal limits of military involvement in domestic law enforcement.
Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, noted that many who could face deportation are simply part of the U.S. labor force. He warned that the focus might shift from removing criminals to meeting quotas by deporting a larger number of individuals.
Janet Murguia, president of UnidosUS Action Fund, stated that American citizens would likely be affected by Trump’s plan. She emphasized the important contributions migrants make to the economy and society. “It’s a threat to our economy, our values, and our freedoms,” she said, questioning what would happen if workers were removed en masse.
Murguia also highlighted that the Latino community’s economic contributions make it the fifth largest economy in the world, asking whether Trump truly understands the potential damage to U.S. economic interests.
Advocacy groups acknowledged the need for immigration reform but argued that Trump’s plan is not the solution. In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to promote legal pathways for immigrants, continuing President Joe Biden’s efforts to offer green cards to undocumented migrants who have lived in the U.S. for over a decade.
Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, responded by stating that Harris’s and Biden’s policies have created a humanitarian and national security crisis. She asserted that Trump would make provisions for mixed-status families and restore effective immigration policies, aiming to implement the largest deportation operation in U.S. history against illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers.
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