Former President Trump is considering a significant deportation effort targeting undocumented immigrants if he wins a non-consecutive second term in the coming year.
As reported by the New York Post, a potential second Trump term would involve the rounding up of undocumented individuals into large detention centers for subsequent forcible removal from the country. The objective is to send back millions of undocumented immigrants each year to their countries of origin.
In addition to the estimated 4 million undocumented immigrants who have entered the country since Joe Biden assumed office, this operation would also target millions more who have resided in the United States for several decades. President Trump’s strategy involves deputizing local law enforcement and National Guard units in Republican-controlled states to aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in rounding up undocumented immigrants. New detention facilities would be constructed specifically for this purpose to alleviate the strain on existing facilities overwhelmed by undocumented immigrants.
Furthermore, this agenda seeks to resurrect several policies from President Trump’s first term, including a comprehensive travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, which proved successful despite court challenges by left-wing groups.
Speaking at a rally in Clive, Iowa, President Trump asserted, “If you’re coming from somewhere full of people who want to kill Americans, we will not let you in.” Trump added that they would not admit individuals from regions like Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, or any other location that threatens national security.
In the event that Congress declines to pass legislation authorizing funding for the immigration plan, President Trump intends to utilize Department of Defense (DOD) funding to sustain these operations in much the same way that he constructed the southern border wall during his first term.
Joe Biden’s re-election campaign issued a statement condemning President Trump’s plan as extreme, racially biased, and cruel policies aimed at sowing fear and division, with the hope that a frightened nation will secure his victory in the election.
Immigration was President Trump’s central issue during the 2016 campaign, with his primary campaign promise being the construction of a border wall. It continues to be a prominent issue in the 2024 campaign.
In 2020, Biden and the Democratic Party pledged various taxpayer-funded benefits to undocumented immigrants, including healthcare, education, and housing. These promises led to a surge in undocumented immigrants crossing the border since Biden assumed office, resulting in increased homelessness and crime along the border and in major cities where undocumented immigrants are relocating, such as New York City.
President Trump remains the leading contender for the Republican nomination, with an aggregate lead of approximately 59%, maintaining a substantial margin over the next-highest candidate, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who is polling at around 14%.