Background information
President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated on January 20th, 2025. During his rallies, he expressed that if elected, he would have mass deportations all across the US.
How many deportations has there been? (a month into his presidency)
According to The Miami Herald, it says that there is no clear number on how many deportations there truly are. However, there have been an estimated 50,000 removals as of the end of February (according to Daily Mail and the Department of Homeland Security).
Compared to other recent administrations (Obama and Biden), Trump’s administration so far falls in the middle for number of deportations, with more deportations than Biden but less than under Obama.
Many have questions on where they are being sent. According to The Guardian, “Now, little more than a month since his inauguration day, Trump is strong-arming Central American leaders into collaborating with his hardline immigration agenda, forcing their countries to act as a dumping ground for immigrants that the United States can’t simply deport back to their home countries.”
According to NBC News, immigration officials can’t send many people back to their home countries because of the fact that many countries won’t accept deportation flights from the US. Countries such China, Venezuela, and Pakistan are not accepting deportation flights. However, Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador have been accepting flights and housing the deportees.
How has Trump justified mass deportations?
President Trump has been using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify mass deportations. The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 states that “if the US is at war with another country, or a foreign nation or government has invaded the US or threatened to, a president can invoke the Alien Enemies Act.” – CNN
What can immigrants do?
Immigrants can go to court. Since this act does not follow the usual steps in the immigration court system, they can make their case in court to attempt to stay in the country. Other things that immigrants can do are:
-Apply for a visa (apply to become a lawful permanent resident)
-File for asylum (protection grantable to foreign nationals already in the United States or arriving at the border who meet the international law definition of a “refugee”)
What problems has President Donald J. Trump faced with the deportations?
Donald Trump has faced numerous challenges. He has faced challenges like funds and looking for detention spaces.
According to Axios, Trump asked Congress for an immediate infusion (the introduction of a new element or quality into something) of $175 billion to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get more detention space and boost staff and other things. According to USAtoday, it stated that Trump launched a full court press (a situation in which a person or organization makes a lot of effort to try to achieve something), so Congress can grant the infusion to the Trump Administration so it could carry out more of these mass deportations.
Another problem previously mentioned was detention spaces. There may not be enough facilities to hold possible deportees. According to Axios, it says that the Trump Administration is leaning towards starting to use Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to house immigrants awaiting deportation.
