In his first week as president-elect, Donald Trump immediately got to work putting together his staff. By the beginning of his second week, he declared on Truth Social that he was going to proclaim a border security national emergency. He suggests in his plan that he may use the National Guard to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants, which would be a daring step that would highlight his administration's priorities. However, it's still unclear exactly how this enormous project will be handled.
Many are referring to it as "Trumpworld," which promises to be a place free of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. The motto of this globe will be "America First" policies. In addition to the long-anticipated return of hardline conservative beliefs, it will be a world where efforts to Make America Great Again (MAGA) get underway. According to Trumpworld and its far-right supporters, the MAGA campaign promises to expel all undocumented immigrants. Given that the Pew Research Center estimates that 7,25,000 of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the US are from India, it must also worry Indians. They now rank third in size, behind El Salvador and Mexico.Indians in the United States: An Extreme Story
The success of Silicon Valley is frequently credited to Indian immigration in the US, but the silent efforts of the thousands of undocumented Indians who are residing in the nation unlawfully are not acknowledged. They account for over 6% of all undocumented migrants in the nation. They have a combined population of 2.71 million. Only Mexico (4.5 million) has more Indian immigrants overall, including legal and illegal. Many of these Indian immigrants, the majority of whom are young and well-established in their careers, face uncertainty now that Trump is back in the White House.
Can Ambition Become Law?
After Trump is sworn in in January, Tom Homan will be in control of America's borders. Hardline rhetoric is characteristic of Homan, a former police officer and former director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal department that enforces immigration laws within the United States. "You better start packing now," he said bluntly to unauthorized immigrants at this year's Republican National Convention.
After Trump is sworn in in January, Tom Homan will be in control of America's borders. Hardline rhetoric is characteristic of Homan, a former police officer and former director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal department that enforces immigration laws within the United States. "You better start packing now," he said bluntly to unauthorized immigrants at this year's Republican National Convention.
Trump has chosen Stephen Miller as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy in addition to Homan as the Border Czar. Both stances support his campaign pledge to enforce strict immigration laws and deport all undocumented immigrants. Miller, who helped shape Trump's immigration policy during his first term, will concentrate on carrying out the administration's pledges of mass deportations, while Homan will be in charge of US borders and deportations, among other things. Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota has been named Secretary of Homeland Security, working alongside Homan and Miller on border security projects.
But there are enormous obstacles in the way of actually carrying out Trump's ambitious proposal. The rhetoric is as audacious as the logistics of scaling up the system.
Tracking Down the Sources
Border authorities must first determine beyond a reasonable doubt the nation of origin of a potential deportee before they can deport someone without any documentation or a passport. I'll make a comparison here. A similar issue affects many Nigerian immigrants in India. Former Mumbai police officer and Maharashtra police head Javed Ahmed once informed me that it was almost impossible to send overstayed Nigerians back to their homeland. Why? Because they would destroy all of their national identification documents, including their passports, after they arrived in India, making it impossible for the authorities to verify their Nigerian antecedents. Unless their origins are established, the Nigerian government is within its rights to refuse to accept them.
But there are enormous obstacles in the way of actually carrying out Trump's ambitious proposal. The rhetoric is as audacious as the logistics of scaling up the system.
Tracking Down the Sources
Border authorities must first determine beyond a reasonable doubt the nation of origin of a potential deportee before they can deport someone without any documentation or a passport. I'll make a comparison here. A similar issue affects many Nigerian immigrants in India. Former Mumbai police officer and Maharashtra police head Javed Ahmed once informed me that it was almost impossible to send overstayed Nigerians back to their homeland. Why? Because they would destroy all of their national identification documents, including their passports, after they arrived in India, making it impossible for the authorities to verify their Nigerian antecedents. Unless their origins are established, the Nigerian government is within its rights to refuse to accept them.
Therefore, it will be difficult for the US government to return an illegal Indian to India. Repatriation agreements between the US and Mexico and a few Central American nations do exist, although they mainly target recent border crossers rather than long-term undocumented immigrants. Removal processes get complicated for people who have lived in the US for ten years or longer. It can be challenging to obtain travel documents, establish citizenship, and complete documentation. Additionally, families may be split apart when long-term residents are removed, and returnees may have trouble reintegrating into their home nations. The US government itself has acknowledged these challenges.
Lack of Manpower
The shortage of personnel is another issue. Because immigration enforcement agencies are overburdened, even during Trump's first term, the average yearly deportation rate was 3,50,000, which is insignificant when compared to the Obama administration's 4,32,000 deportations in a single year. Ironically, Obama had chosen Tom Homan to be in charge of these deportations.
To address the labor shortage, Trump's supporters have suggested using the National Guard, one of the oldest branches of the US military, but legal experts like Jean Lantz Reisz of the Gould School of Law caution that this would probably lead to legal issues. The President cannot use the military to enforce immigration laws on his own, according to the Supreme Court. An effort to use the Insurrection Act of 1807, a federal law authorising the President to deploy the army to quell domestic insurrections when state authorities request assistance or national security is threatened, would likely hit the same legal wall.
Lack of Manpower
The shortage of personnel is another issue. Because immigration enforcement agencies are overburdened, even during Trump's first term, the average yearly deportation rate was 3,50,000, which is insignificant when compared to the Obama administration's 4,32,000 deportations in a single year. Ironically, Obama had chosen Tom Homan to be in charge of these deportations.
To address the labor shortage, Trump's supporters have suggested using the National Guard, one of the oldest branches of the US military, but legal experts like Jean Lantz Reisz of the Gould School of Law caution that this would probably lead to legal issues. The President cannot use the military to enforce immigration laws on his own, according to the Supreme Court. An effort to use the Insurrection Act of 1807, a federal law authorising the President to deploy the army to quell domestic insurrections when state authorities request assistance or national security is threatened, would likely hit the same legal wall.
Legal Deadlock
Another issue, as noted by immigration specialists, is the glaring absence of court and custody capacity. The system is already breaking under the weight of the startling backlog of 3.7 million pending immigration cases, according to Syracuse University research. The current total number of detainees detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is 37,000, which is significantly less than what Trump's proposals for mass deportations would need. Increasing this capacity will not be inexpensive, and the cost will most likely fall on taxpayers.
Financial Restraints
It is estimated that it will cost about $300 billion to remove all 11 million undocumented immigrants. However, Trump has previously stated that the cost is irrelevant. Cost isn't the only factor, though. Of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants, studies estimate that about one million own their own firms and pay $100 billion in taxes. The involvement of illegal workers is essential in industries like agriculture, infrastructure, and hospitality in states like California and Texas. "You could put 11 million people in removal proceedings, but it would take years to actually deport them from the US," Reisz says, providing a sobering reminder of reality. Reisz views mass deportations as a pipe dream unless there are substantial legal changes and congressional support for them.
The Background of Discrimination
The US was founded on multiple waves of immigration in the early centuries, primarily from Europe, and is frequently referred to as a "nation of immigrants." To put things in perspective, the Mughal and Ottoman empires were at their height in the 17th century, radiating wealth, beautiful art, and stunning architecture, while European settlers were busy evicting the native population and attempting to establish homes for themselves in the New World. The US evolved into a New World after several centuries of predominantly White European migration, and in the 20th century, it became a global power.
As the makeup of the immigrant population shifted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anti-immigration attitudes started to gain traction. The arrival of Africans, Chinese, and other immigrants fueled xenophobia and nativism, whereas earlier immigrants, mostly from Northern and Western Europe, were warmly welcomed. In fact, the United States formalized racial prejudices into laws. For example, the Immigration Act of 1917 established a "barred zone," which prohibited immigration from the majority of Asia. The Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, which established origin-based quotas that favored Northern and Western Europeans while completely excluding Asians, further solidified discrimination. Generally speaking, white Europeans were viewed as more attractive and obtained citizenship more readily. However, immigrants who were Black, Asian, or Latino faced legal obstacles, discrimination, and open rejection. The Naturalization Act of, for example,
Another issue, as noted by immigration specialists, is the glaring absence of court and custody capacity. The system is already breaking under the weight of the startling backlog of 3.7 million pending immigration cases, according to Syracuse University research. The current total number of detainees detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is 37,000, which is significantly less than what Trump's proposals for mass deportations would need. Increasing this capacity will not be inexpensive, and the cost will most likely fall on taxpayers.
Financial Restraints
It is estimated that it will cost about $300 billion to remove all 11 million undocumented immigrants. However, Trump has previously stated that the cost is irrelevant. Cost isn't the only factor, though. Of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants, studies estimate that about one million own their own firms and pay $100 billion in taxes. The involvement of illegal workers is essential in industries like agriculture, infrastructure, and hospitality in states like California and Texas. "You could put 11 million people in removal proceedings, but it would take years to actually deport them from the US," Reisz says, providing a sobering reminder of reality. Reisz views mass deportations as a pipe dream unless there are substantial legal changes and congressional support for them.
The Background of Discrimination
The US was founded on multiple waves of immigration in the early centuries, primarily from Europe, and is frequently referred to as a "nation of immigrants." To put things in perspective, the Mughal and Ottoman empires were at their height in the 17th century, radiating wealth, beautiful art, and stunning architecture, while European settlers were busy evicting the native population and attempting to establish homes for themselves in the New World. The US evolved into a New World after several centuries of predominantly White European migration, and in the 20th century, it became a global power.
As the makeup of the immigrant population shifted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anti-immigration attitudes started to gain traction. The arrival of Africans, Chinese, and other immigrants fueled xenophobia and nativism, whereas earlier immigrants, mostly from Northern and Western Europe, were warmly welcomed. In fact, the United States formalized racial prejudices into laws. For example, the Immigration Act of 1917 established a "barred zone," which prohibited immigration from the majority of Asia. The Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, which established origin-based quotas that favored Northern and Western Europeans while completely excluding Asians, further solidified discrimination. Generally speaking, white Europeans were viewed as more attractive and obtained citizenship more readily. However, immigrants who were Black, Asian, or Latino faced legal obstacles, discrimination, and open rejection. The Naturalization Act of, for example,
Reachable Objectives
It will be difficult for Trump's new immigration team to reach Obama's peak of 4,32,000 deportations annually, even with the greatest of intentions and a dedication to living up to the rhetoric. It would still take 22 years to remove the present backlog of undocumented immigrants, even if they are able to achieve an ambitious half a million every year, assuming no logistical or legal obstructions. Trump, according to experts, is more likely to concentrate on deporting recent immigrants because their records are simpler to track down.
But now that Trump is legally barred from running for reelection in 2028, the crucial question is: who will be responsible if this audacious pledge is broken?
It will be difficult for Trump's new immigration team to reach Obama's peak of 4,32,000 deportations annually, even with the greatest of intentions and a dedication to living up to the rhetoric. It would still take 22 years to remove the present backlog of undocumented immigrants, even if they are able to achieve an ambitious half a million every year, assuming no logistical or legal obstructions. Trump, according to experts, is more likely to concentrate on deporting recent immigrants because their records are simpler to track down.
But now that Trump is legally barred from running for reelection in 2028, the crucial question is: who will be responsible if this audacious pledge is broken?
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