Trump’s Immigration Plans: A Look at Past Actions and Future Promises.
Donald Trump first won the White House in 2016, in part by pledging to take a hard stance on immigration. One of his most notable statements at the time was his call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
“Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on,” he declared.
Following this, a controversial travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries was implemented. By the second year of his presidency, the Trump administration had introduced a “zero tolerance policy,” which led to the separation of children from their parents at the border.
“Don’t break the law. I mean, that’s why they’re separated — ’cause they’re breaking the law,” said then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen in May 2018.
As Trump eyes a return to the White House, he’s vowing to take even more drastic measures on immigration.
“As soon as I take the oath of office, we will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country,” he promised at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a pledge he has repeated at various events.
Taking the Pledge Nationwide
At the Republican National Convention this summer, attendees held signs demanding “Mass Deportation Now!” Trump’s supporters across the country have consistently cheered when he reiterates his promise.
During a rally in Nevada, Trump declared, “When I’m re-elected, we will begin — and we have no choice — the largest deportation operation in American history,” to the delight of the crowd. Similar responses were seen in Montana, where he stated, “We will seal the border, stop the invasion, and send the illegal aliens back home where they belong.”
Trump’s former immigration advisors are already crafting ambitious plans for a second term. Tom Homan, the former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), expressed his confidence at the National Conservatism Conference, saying, “They ain’t seen s*** yet. Wait ’till 2025 … Trump comes back in January, I’ll be on his heels coming back. And I will run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”
Evaluating the Feasibility of Trump’s Plans
Two NPR reporters, Joel Rose and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, who have closely followed Trump’s immigration policies, have examined internal documents and emails from his time in office. These were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and provide insights into the challenges Trump may face in expanding the U.S. deportation system.
The documents reveal how immigration authorities struggled from the outset of Trump’s presidency to increase detention capacity in response to White House demands. Despite efforts to scale up, bureaucratic obstacles slowed the process, making it difficult to match Trump’s aggressive rhetoric with action.
For instance, after Trump signed several executive orders on immigration in January 2017, ICE immediately sought to expand detention facilities. Joel Rose noted, “ICE did add about 15,000 detention beds under President Trump, which is a jump of about 35%. But that took years. It was not as fast or as easy as his advisers may have wanted. And I think that’s reason to be skeptical about Trump’s promises this time around.”
Martínez-Beltrán pointed out that while Trump’s rhetoric is bold, it lacks specificity. “He has vowed to deport anywhere from 15 to 20 million unauthorized migrants. But that number is way higher than what the Department of Homeland Security reports. The agency estimates there are about 11 million unlawful migrants.”
As Trump campaigns for another term, the feasibility of his immigration promises remains a significant point of discussion. His previous term showcased the challenges of turning rhetoric into reality, and it remains to be seen whether a second term would yield different results.