During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump made a promise of mass deportation a focal point, drawing comparisons to former President Barack Obama, known as the “deporter-in-chief.” Despite the vague details regarding the scale of the plan, elements of it align with past practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Under the leadership of Tom Homan, who served in immigration law enforcement during the Obama administration and has been appointed as border czar by Trump, discussions have centered on potentially harsh measures to detain and deport undocumented individuals in the U.S. Some observers have noted similarities to approaches taken during the Obama era, albeit with a potential escalation in severity.
Trump has alluded to past deportation initiatives, such as those seen during the Eisenhower administration, which saw a large-scale removal of undocumented immigrants. While publicly, Trump’s aides have emphasized continuity with previous administrations, there is anticipation of a more aggressive approach under the new plan.
Homan has emphasized a focus on removing public safety and national security threats as a priority, while acknowledging the potential apprehension of other undocumented individuals encountered during operations. Plans also include the reintroduction of family detention, a controversial practice that had been expanded under Obama.
Critics and immigrant advocates have raised concerns about the impact of mass deportation rhetoric on immigrant communities, as well as the logistical challenges posed by limited resources and personnel. Despite the ambitious deportation goals set by Trump, the realities of enforcement within the United States present ongoing challenges, as seen in previous administrations.
The Migration Policy Institute reported that approximately half of the 2.9 million deportations carried out during Barack Obama’s first term, and fewer than the 1.9 million deportations in his second term, have been surpassed by the current administration under President Biden. An updated analysis shared with CNN indicates that President Biden oversaw 1.49 million deportations, aligning closely with the number of deportations during his predecessor’s second term. Notably, these figures do not encompass the countless individuals who were denied entry at the border due to a Covid-19-era policy implemented by former President Trump and continued into President Biden’s tenure.
In a recent interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” former President Trump acknowledged the complexities associated with detaining and deporting immigrants. He remarked, “It’s a very tough thing to do. You know, you have rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally.” While Trump emphasized that his administration’s deportation efforts would primarily target individuals with criminal backgrounds, he hinted at the possibility of extending these actions to include non-criminal immigrants, without specifying who these “other people outside of criminals” might be.
An official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disclosed that there are approximately 1.4 million individuals in the U.S. with final orders of removal. However, many of these individuals cannot be repatriated to their countries of origin due to their refusal to accept them back or the potential for relief through the immigration system. Although Obama deported around 400,000 individuals in a single year, a significant portion of these deportations involved recent border crossers. On the other hand, President Trump faces a more daunting task in targeting immigrants who are already residing in the country.
A former Homeland Security official highlighted the distinction between apprehending individuals and effecting their deportation. While ICE has focused on its capacity to arrest individuals, the process of carrying out deportations necessitates adherence to a specific procedure. CNN previously reported that the Trump administration is evaluating the regional infrastructure for accommodating migrants, a step that could potentially lead to the construction of new detention facilities in major metropolitan areas. Homeland Security officials have identified several cities for bolstering detention capabilities in anticipation of surges at the border.
ICE is presently equipped with funding for approximately 40,000 detention beds. In preparation for potential national emergency declarations to access Pentagon resources, Trump’s team has begun tailoring such declarations to facilitate the expansion of detention capacities. Trump reiterated his intention to utilize the military for deporting immigrants who entered the U.S. unlawfully, expressing his determination to leverage this authority to the fullest extent permitted by law. These measures were previously implemented during his first term and faced legal challenges.
