In an unprecedented move, former President Donald J. Trump is preparing an extreme expansion of his first-term immigration policies, aiming to enact a comprehensive and stringent crackdown if he returns to power in 2025. Trump's proposed measures include reviving and significantly extending many of the controversial policies from his previous administration, with a focus on both legal and illegal immigration.

 

Trump's plan centers on reimposing several first-term border policies, including a travel ban on certain Muslim-majority nations and reinstating a Covid-19-era policy of refusing asylum claims. This time, he would base these refusals on assertions that migrants carry other infectious diseases like tuberculosis. He also intends to suspend the nation's refugee program, categorically barring visitors from troubled countries. Stephen Miller, Trump's former White House aide and the chief architect of his first-term immigration efforts, emphasized that "Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown."

 

One of the most striking aspects of Trump's plan is the proposal for sweeping raids to round up undocumented immigrants already in the United States. These individuals would be detained in large camps while they await deportation. Trump envisions using federal law enforcement agents, local police officers, and National Guard soldiers from Republican-run states to carry out these extensive raids. The idea is to reassign agents and deputize local officers to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in these operations. Miller elaborated, "To make the process of finding and deporting undocumented immigrants already living inside the country radically more quick and efficient, the Trump team would bring in the right kinds of attorneys and the right kinds of policy thinkers willing to carry out such ideas."

 

 

To facilitate mass deportations, Trump plans to significantly expand the use of expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process that bypasses usual hearings and appeals. This approach would enable swift deportations of undocumented immigrants, especially those apprehended near the border. Additionally, Trump has suggested invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expel suspected members of drug cartels and criminal gangs without due process. The law allows for summary deportation of people from countries with which the United States is at war or that have engaged in "predatory incursions."

 

The logistical framework for these plans includes constructing vast holding facilities near the border to detain immigrants while their cases are processed. Miller indicated that the military would build these camps under the authority and control of the Department of Homeland Security. He explained that these camps would look professional and similar to other facilities for migrants that have been built near the border. The use of these camps would likely focus on single adults, as the government cannot indefinitely hold children under a longstanding court order known as the Flores settlement. Families brought to the facilities would have to be moved in and out more quickly.

 

Trump also plans to bypass Congress by relying on existing statutes to implement his immigration agenda. This strategy minimizes the need for new legislation and prepares for extensive legal battles by overwhelming immigrant-rights lawyers with a "blitz" of legal tactics. Miller stated, "Any activists who doubt President Trump's resolve in the slightest are making a drastic error: Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown. The immigration legal activists won't know what's happening."

 

 

The Trump team's vision for abrupt mass deportations would likely cause significant social and economic disruption, impacting industries such as agriculture and the service sector. However, Miller cast such disruption in a favorable light, saying, "Mass deportation will be a labor-market disruption celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs. Americans will also celebrate the fact that our nation's laws are now being applied equally, and that one select group is no longer magically exempt."

 

Trump's immigration plan also includes measures aimed at keeping people out of the country. He would push to revive agreements with several nations in Central America, and try to expand them to Africa, Asia, and South America. Under such deals, countries agree to take would-be asylum seekers from specific other nations and let them apply for asylum there instead. Additionally, Trump intends to re-establish an agreement with Mexico that asylum seekers remain there while their claims are processed, though it remains unclear if Mexico would agree to this.

 

One of the most contentious deterrents from Trump's first term was the policy of separating children from their parents at the border. While Trump has repeatedly declined to rule out reviving this policy, it remains a deeply controversial issue. After an outcry over the practice, Trump ended it in 2018, and a judge later blocked the government from putting it back into effect.

 

Trump's proposed measures also include canceling visas for foreign students involved in anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian protests, revoking temporary protected status for people from certain unsafe countries, and attempting to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. This would be done by changing government policy on issuing citizenship documents such as Social Security cards and passports.

 

The political environment on immigration has shifted in Trump's favor since he left office. The ebbing of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resumption of travel flows have stirred a global migrant crisis, with millions of people fleeing turmoil in their home countries. Amid record numbers of migrants at the southern border and beyond, voters are increasingly frustrated, and some Democrats are calling for tougher action against immigrants. Trump and his advisers see this as an opportunity and are more prepared now to exploit it than they were during his first term.

 

The legal environment has also become more favorable for Trump. His four years of judicial appointments have left behind federal appellate courts and a Supreme Court that are far more conservative than those that heard challenges to his first-term policies. This shift is illustrated by the fight over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama-era program that shields from deportation and grants work permits to people who were brought unlawfully to the United States as children. Trump tried to end DACA, but the Supreme Court blocked him on procedural grounds in June 2020. However, the 5-4 majority that blocked his attempt no longer exists, as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death and her replacement by Justice Amy Coney Barrett have shifted the court further to the right.

 

Throughout his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump's rhetoric on immigration has only grown harsher. He has stoked fear and anger toward immigrants, a strategy that fueled his 2016 takeover of the Republican Party. Recently, Trump claimed without evidence that foreign leaders were deliberately emptying their "insane asylums" to send the patients across America's southern border as migrants. He said migrants were "poisoning the blood of our country," and at a rally in Florida, he compared them to the fictional serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter, saying, "That's what's coming into our country right now."

 

Despite these extreme proposals, Trump advisers contend that the plans rely on existing statutes and do not require new substantive legislation. While acknowledging that lawsuits would arise to challenge nearly every one of them, they portray the Trump team's array of tactics as a "blitz" designed to overwhelm immigrant-rights lawyers. Todd Schulte, the president of FWD.us, an immigration and criminal justice advocacy group that repeatedly fought the Trump administration, said the Trump team's plans relied on "xenophobic demagoguery" that appeals to his hardest-core political base. Schulte added, "Americans should understand these policy proposals are an authoritarian, often illegal, agenda that would rip apart nearly every aspect of American life — tanking the economy, violating the basic civil rights of millions of immigrants and native-born Americans alike."

 

In summary, Trump's immigration agenda for a potential second term represents a significant escalation from his first-term policies. The proposed measures aim for a scale of removals and legal changes that would profoundly impact both immigrants and the broader U.S. society. By preparing for sweeping raids, mass deportations, and the construction of large detention camps, Trump and his team are determined to enforce the most stringent immigration crackdown in modern American history.

 

Credit: NYT 2024-07-06

 

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I'm sure many will vote for Trump based on that alone.

 

 

Stop this fascist before it is too late.

Comprehensive Immigration reform yes.

Not this madness.

 

To add, if Americans think grocery priduce and restaurant meals are too expensive now

....

He’s certainly poisoned the American ideal this kind of plan along with this Supreme Court there will be much untold suffering and deaths ……and he would get away with it

38 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Stop this fascist before it is too late.

Comprehensive Immigration reform yes.

Not this madness.

 

To add, if Americans think grocery priduce and restaurant meals are too expensive now

....

Are you justifying unchecked immigration as a means of keeping food prices in check. Isn't that similar to Biden raiding the strategic oil reserve to keep gasoline prices  down?

Comprehensive immigration reform?  Why not first enforce the existing laws?

9 minutes ago, Tug said:

He’s certainly poisoned the American ideal this kind of plan along with this Supreme Court there will be much untold suffering and deaths ……and he would get away with it

Get away with what?  We already have suffering and deaths.  Why add to the misery? 

18 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

Are you justifying unchecked immigration as a means of keeping food prices in check. Isn't that similar to Biden raiding the strategic oil reserve to keep gasoline prices  down?

Comprehensive immigration reform?  Why not first enforce the existing laws?

 

They seem to think using slave labor as a justification to keep the price of cado toast down is normal. Back in the day it was the argument for cotton prices. 

39 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

They seem to think using slave labor as a justification to keep the price of cado toast down is normal. Back in the day it was the argument for cotton prices. 

Weren’t you bleating the other day about high prices for everything and blaming the Biden administration?

1 hour ago, Tug said:

He’s certainly poisoned the American ideal this kind of plan along with this Supreme Court there will be much untold suffering and deaths ……and he would get away with it

Shock and awe on his own country.

1 hour ago, Hawaiian said:

Are you justifying unchecked immigration as a means of keeping food prices in check. Isn't that similar to Biden raiding the strategic oil reserve to keep gasoline prices  down?

Comprehensive immigration reform?  Why not first enforce the existing laws?

No I'm for comprehensive Immigration reform. Sane humane policies recognizing that tearing apart families should be avoided, easier faster paths for legal immigration, not disrupting industries that citizens don't want to work in. America needs immigrants. Always has and always will. America would be aging like Japan without immigration. 

 

There is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

Why do the maga fascists like draconian measures?

 

White nationalist Christian centered racism. Simple as that. Very ugly stuff.

 

They would thrilled to welcome more immigration if it was Swedes who were coming.

It rather sounds as if MAGA has discovered some missing appendices from "Mein Kampf"!

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

No I'm for comprehensive Immigration reform. Sane humane policies recognizing that tearing apart families should be avoided, easier faster paths for legal immigration, not disrupting industries that citizens don't want to work in. America needs immigrants. Always has and always will. America would be aging like Japan without immigration. 

 

There is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

Why do the maga fascists like draconian measures?

 

White nationalist Christian centered racism. Simple as that. Very ugly stuff.

 

They would thrilled to welcome more immigration if it was Swedes who were coming.

Why must you inject race into the issue?  People of all races need to follow U.S. immigration law.  Japan is slowly loosening up its immigration policy.  They definitely will not make the mistake the U.S. is making by allowing undocumented workers into their country.  Illegals are flooding American cities burdening local governments and sucking up resources meant for Americans.

Breaking up families?  Where I live many Asians enter legally and once established sponsor their families.  Why should illegals be given a free pass?

How many undocumented immigrants have you fed and housed?

There is absolutely no justification hiring illegals.  The U.S. has visa categories to address jobs difficult to fill.

Again, you need to stop your racist comments.

 

"Mass deportation will be a labor-market disruption celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs" So once he has deported the workers, americans will rush to fill the jobs picking in the agricultural and service sectors? They are dreaming, migrants are doing these jobs as amreicans do not want to.

 

Plus will this mean stop, search, i.d anyone of colour on the streets of the USA?

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

 

 

Why do the maga fascists like draconian measures?

 

 

Like opening the borders without control... chaos at the borders will be the death of America... wouldn't it be a shame if any of you still living there get caught up in the terrorism that is coming your way... PS... none of these illegals are picking crops.

16 minutes ago, stupidfarang said:

"Mass deportation will be a labor-market disruption celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs" So once he has deported the workers, americans will rush to fill the jobs picking in the agricultural and service sectors? They are dreaming, migrants are doing these jobs as amreicans do not want to.

 

Plus will this mean stop, search, i.d anyone of colour on the streets of the USA?

They could bring in temporary workers to do farm work, but legally. and not immigrants.

If NZ can do it, why can't the US?

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They could bring in temporary workers to do farm work, but legally. and not immigrants.

If NZ can do it, why can't the US?

The U.S. does.  https://www.ncfh.org/h-2a-guest-workers-fact-sheet.html

I think Stephen Miller is underestimating the logistics necessary for mass deportations.

 

Building internment camps, capturing undocumented people, transporting them (domestically), housing them, feeding them, finding countries to take them, and organizing charter flights, will be an expensive and arduous effort.

 

While the target may be 15 ~ 20 million, he might be lucky to get to 1 million.

 

 

I'm 100% for legal immigration and 100% against illegal immigration. 

 

By leaving out the word "illegal" in the title, the article shows us its metaphorical butt. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I think Stephen Miller is underestimating the logistics necessary for mass deportations.

 

Building internment camps, capturing undocumented people, transporting them (domestically), housing them, feeding them, finding countries to take them, and organizing charter flights, will be an expensive and arduous effort.

 

While the target may be 15 ~ 20 million, he might be lucky to get to 1 million.

 

 

Agree.  Mass deportation will never happen.  They will target those with criminal records and "troublemakers."

Bypassing Congress, repurposing laws front 225 years ago (intended to deal with totally different scenarios), using the military, expediting deportations denying appeals and review, employing the "vast Federal powers to blitz opponents so these "activists" don't know what has hit them", sweeping raids to pick up huge numbers of people; what is not to like?

 

I wonder how long it will be before Trump is able to brag that he has made the USA "braunemenschenfrei"!

 

And as for justifying it by stating that they carry tuberculosis, God help us!

16 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They could bring in temporary workers to do farm work, but legally. and not immigrants.

If NZ can do it, why can't the US?

Geography. NZ is made up of Islands, rather a long way from anywhere else.

27 minutes ago, stupidfarang said:

"Mass deportation will be a labor-market disruption celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs" So once he has deported the workers, americans will rush to fill the jobs picking in the agricultural and service sectors? They are dreaming, migrants are doing these jobs as amreicans do not want to.

 

Plus will this mean stop, search, i.d anyone of colour on the streets of the USA?

Once upon a time these illegals were migrant workers which meant they (the workers) followed the crops and sent the money to their families south of the border. They didn't take up permanent residence with their families here.

 

They don't stay in the fields picking crops as so many would like to believe. They move to warehousing, construction, factory jobs.

45 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

It rather sounds as if MAGA has discovered some missing appendices from "Mein Kampf"!

 

trump's senior adviser on immigration policy, Stephen Miller,  is a known White Supremist. Accordingly this underlines trump's true nature. However, it is highly unlikely trump can apply most of the policies in the OP e.g. forced returns as that would require government to government agreement, though it is possible trump could invest billions in bribes to try and get his way. I guess US voters must be comfortable having a White Supremist President, alongside some of his other truly stupid ideas such as 10% tariff on all imports, plus 60% on Chinese imports.

11 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

28 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They could bring in temporary workers to do farm work, but legally. and not immigrants.

If NZ can do it, why can't the US?

Geography. NZ is made up of Islands, rather a long way from anywhere else.

 

canada also brings in temporary farm workers. legally. 

4 minutes ago, simple1 said:

plus 60% on Chinese imports.

 

many of which were made under very questionable working conditions. child labor. slave labor. the list goes on and on. 

 

remind me again why we ever started trading with communists ? 

7 minutes ago, simple1 said:

trump's senior adviser on immigration policy, Stephen Miller,  is a known White Supremist. Accordingly this underlines trump's true nature.

Astonishing, deeply disturbing, but somehow not really surprising!

Trump’s ’vision for 2025’ is already scripted.

 

He’s doing his best to deny knowledge of it but it exists and it was written by people he appointed and by people remain his close associates.

 

He is of course lying through his teeth.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/05/donald-trump-project-2025

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

Geography. NZ is made up of Islands, rather a long way from anywhere else.

The U.S. has 2 B visas, one for ag and the other non-ag.  There are more applicants than available visas.  So that is not a valid reason.  Same thing for some European countries.  And Israel along with a few Middle East countries.

2 hours ago, stoner said:

 

many of which were made under very questionable working conditions. child labor. slave labor. the list goes on and on. 

 

remind me again why we ever started trading with communists ? 

because the American capitalists made more money by exploiting poor workers in China and selling it for a big profit in America. Capitalists apparently didn't care about sacking large numbers of working class Americans.

3 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

Why must you inject race into the issue?  People of all races need to follow U.S. immigration law.  Japan is slowly loosening up its immigration policy.  They definitely will not make the mistake the U.S. is making by allowing undocumented workers into their country.  Illegals are flooding American cities burdening local governments and sucking up resources meant for Americans.

Breaking up families?  Where I live many Asians enter legally and once established sponsor their families.  Why should illegals be given a free pass?

How many undocumented immigrants have you fed and housed?

There is absolutely no justification hiring illegals.  The U.S. has visa categories to address jobs difficult to fill.

Again, you need to stop your racist comments.

 

Don't be naive!

Race has always been an issue related to US immigration policy. Did you study history?