WASHINGTON — As President-elect Donald Trump prepares for his return to office, immigration advocates and civil rights groups are bracing for the impact of his promises to crack down on immigration. These include reviving controversial policies from his first term and pushing forward with plans for mass deportations.
One of Trump’s first actions is expected to be the termination of parole programs that have allowed over a million immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. These humanitarian parole programs, which provided temporary protections for immigrants, are slated for immediate repeal when Trump assumes office.
Alongside this, Trump is likely to reinstate policies such as travel bans on people from predominantly Muslim countries and the “Remain in Mexico” program, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in the U.S.
Immigration groups are already preparing for these changes ahead of Inauguration Day.
Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project, acknowledged the fear and uncertainty many immigrants are feeling. “We recognize that many are terrified about what the next four years will bring,” she said in a statement. “While we cannot stop all the harms from coming to pass, we are here to do everything in our power to support and protect each other.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which previously challenged some of Trump’s most stringent immigration policies, has pledged to launch legal battles on the first day of his second term.
Greisa Martínez Rosas, executive director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth organization in the U.S., expressed a clear stance on the challenges ahead. “We are clear-eyed about the fight ahead,” she said. “We will use and grow our power to new heights, building the largest pro-immigrant movement this country has ever seen, to fight back against white nationalism and build a future that upholds our values of a pluralistic democracy.”
Deportation Plans and Expedited Removals
One immediate focus of Trump’s administration will be deportations, with a particular focus on individuals already in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. As of September 2023, there were 37,395 people in ICE detention.
Trump’s administration may also expand expedited removals, which allow the deportation of individuals lacking permanent legal status without a court hearing. This policy, initially limited to a 100-mile border zone, was expanded to the entire country during Trump’s first term. A second term could see the nationwide application of this policy once again. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that up to 288,000 people could be impacted by this expansion.
Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE, clarified that the deportation strategy would not involve mass sweeps. “It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighborhoods,” Homan said. “They’ll be targeted arrests based on investigative processes.”
Cost of Mass Deportations
A key issue surrounding mass deportations is their cost. Trump’s promise to remove millions of unauthorized immigrants would require significant funding, which must be approved by Congress. With the Republican Party holding a narrow majority in the Senate and potentially a slight edge in the House, gaining approval for these policies may be easier than in previous years.
According to a study by the American Immigration Council, deporting approximately 13 million unauthorized immigrants could cost $968 billion over ten years. This would include $89.3 billion for arrests, $167.8 billion for detention, $34 billion for legal processing, and $24 billion for removal efforts.
Economic Impact of Deportations
Experts have raised concerns about the economic consequences of mass deportations, warning of severe disruptions to key industries and the broader economy. Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the American Immigration Council, stressed the potential costs. “Should any president choose to pursue mass deportation, it would come at an extraordinary cost to the government while also devastating the economy,” Robbins said.
Undocumented immigrants contributed $75.6 billion in taxes in 2022 alone, according to the American Immigration Council. The Pew Research Center estimates that about 4.8% of the U.S. workforce is made up of unauthorized immigrants. Removing this workforce could have significant consequences for industries already facing labor shortages.
The American Immigration Council argues that mass deportations would not only strain government resources but also result in widespread economic and social harm, including the separation of families and the disruption of communities.
Conclusion
As President-elect Trump prepares to implement his immigration policies, advocacy groups are gearing up for legal and public challenges. The debate over deportation costs, economic impacts, and human rights will likely continue to be a central issue in the coming years.
Related topics:
- How Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan Would Impact Immigrant Workers and the Economy
- Immigrant Communities Fearful of the Impact of Trump’s Deportation Plan
- Immigrant Rights Groups Prepare to Fight Back Against President-Elect Trump’s Policies
