WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to mobilize government agencies in an effort to implement a large-scale deportation plan that aims to remove record numbers of immigrants from the United States.
This proposed crackdown, supported by several of Trump’s allies and former officials, includes employing federal resources, cooperation with Republican-led states, and potentially even deploying military assistance to enforce immigration laws in “sanctuary” jurisdictions resistant to federal mandates.
Trump’s immigration plan is expected to build on previous measures introduced during his first term and use a wide range of resources to facilitate deportations. Notably, JD Vance, Trump’s vice president-elect, has estimated that the plan could involve the deportation of up to 1 million people per year. However, Trump’s former officials caution that meeting this target will depend on increased funding for officers, detention facilities, and immigration courts.
Central to Trump’s re-election campaign, the immigration policy proposal has fueled debate over its potential impacts. Immigrant advocacy groups and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argue that the proposed mass deportations could result in extensive family separations, disrupt communities, and lead to substantial economic costs.
A report by the American Immigration Council estimates that deporting approximately 13 million undocumented immigrants would cost around $968 billion over a decade.
Former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, who may return in the new administration, said that achieving these goals would be dependent on the budget allocated.
Expanding deportations would also require an increase in ICE’s personnel and could require its Homeland Security Investigations unit to devote more resources to immigration enforcement instead of its primary focus on transnational crimes like drug smuggling and human trafficking.
Critics of the plan, including the ACLU, are preparing for legal challenges, particularly as Trump’s allies hint at potential new measures that would push the limits of executive authority.
Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney who led efforts to halt Trump’s family separation policy during his first term, said that the organization is mobilizing resources and coordinating its strategy in anticipation of legal battles.
Some Trump allies have suggested that the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, an obscure wartime law, could be invoked to rapidly deport people deemed to be “threats.” This act, previously used during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, would likely prompt significant legal resistance if utilized.
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Another key element of Trump’s plan may involve the State Department. Former officials from Trump’s administration have highlighted the challenges of securing cooperation from foreign governments to accept deported nationals.
Christopher Landau, a former US ambassador to Mexico, expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of urgency among US diplomats regarding immigration enforcement. Former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official George Fishman said that diplomatic engagement will be essential to prove that deported people are linked to foreign government actions — a legal hurdle that could pose further challenges to Trump’s immigration agenda.
Trump’s mass deportation plan, a key issue in his presidential campaign, has divided public opinion. According to Edison Research exit polls, 56% of voters indicated support for a path to legal status for most undocumented immigrants, while 39% supported deportation.
Trump’s critics, including immigrant rights groups, warn that his plan could not only prove divisive but also strain national resources and lead to extensive legal challenges that might stall or scale back his ambitious goals.
