US President-elect Donald Trump is set to intensify his crackdown on illegal immigration and restrict legal immigration when he returns to the White House on January 20, 2025. Trump reaffirmed his approach to immigration during a campaign rally in Duluth, Georgia, saying, “Immediately after taking the oath of office, I will begin the largest deportation program in American history.”
Following are some of the immigration policies that Trump will implement during his second administration:
Mass deportation
Trump has announced plans for mass deportations if he returns to office. The initiative, aimed at individuals living in the US illegally, seeks to return millions of people to their countries of origin. The president-elect intends to use an executive order to increase immigration enforcement soon after taking office. He confirmed on his social media platform, Truth Social, that this would include declaring a national emergency and deploying military resources with the aim of surpassing the previous administration’s deportation numbers.
Trump’s plan is in direct conflict with President Biden’s current immigration policies, which prioritize arresting serious criminals while reducing prosecution of those without criminal records. Trump has promised to roll back these policies soon after taking office.
During his 2020 campaign, Trump described the deportation process as a “bloody story.” He also expressed openness to building new detention centers for migrants.
Texas has offered Trump about 1,400 acres nearby US-Mexico border To assist in this effort. The use of the National Guard and possibly federal troops to apprehend and deport individuals is also under consideration.
Trump’s plan includes deporting immigrants with criminal histories and suspected gang affiliations. He wanted to use the Alien Enemies Act, a law enacted in 1798 and last implemented during World War II, to detain persons of Japanese, German, and Italian descent.
Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s previous immigration policies, is expected to play an important role in a potential second term. Miller suggested the possibility of deploying National Guard troops from aid states to less cooperative countries to facilitate deportations. This strategy can trigger legal disputes.
Trump has previously advocated the death penalty for immigrants who kill US citizens or law enforcement officers.
Current deportation figures under the Biden administration have surpassed any single year under Trump. In fiscal year 2023, 468,000 migrants were either deported or returned to Mexico by US immigration authorities, indicating a higher number for the current year.
Increase border security
On his first day back in office, Trump has pledged to increase border security by sending National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border and restarting construction of a border wall. He plans to use a national emergency declaration to secure funding for the wall.
Trump also intends to reinstate his “remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are processed in US courts. Additionally, he aims to detain all migrants caught illegally crossing the border, ending what he calls “catch and release.”
In addition, Trump plans to implement travel bans targeting individuals from certain countries or people with certain ideologies.
“Anywhere else that threatens our security,” Trump said in an October 2023 speech outlining potential targets for the new travel ban, including the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.
Trump also aims to reduce legal immigration by ending humanitarian “parole” programs enacted by the Biden administration, which have allowed a significant flow of migrants with US sponsors. It intends to reduce the number of refugees entering the United States.
Defense of family separation
Trump has made a controversial defense of his administration Family Separation Policy on the US-Mexico border. In a November 2023 interview with Univision, Trump said the policy that separated thousands of immigrant families in 2018 “stopped people from coming in by the thousands.”
During a CNN town hall last year, Trump declined to say whether he would reinstate the policy if re-elected. The policy sparked widespread condemnation and legal challenges.
Trump’s potential “border czar,” Tom Homan, objected to the policy. Homan told Reuters last year that the separation was “upheaval” and suggested it would be better to keep the families together.
The Biden administration reached a settlement agreement in 2022 with families separated under the Trump policy, giving them temporary legal status and other benefits. The agreement also prohibits the separation of the same family for at least eight years.
Ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
The Trump administration has confirmed that it will not accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and will seek ways to end it. DACA, established during former President Barack Obama’s administration, provides temporary deportation relief and work permits to eligible immigrants brought to the US illegally as children. Trump has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the program.
As the New York Times reports, Trump plans to try to end DACA. Their decision follows a Supreme Court ruling in June 2020 that found the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA unconstitutional but did not rule on the program’s legality. The Trump administration said it would explore other legal avenues to end DACA.