Trump's Immigration Crackdown: Aiming for Record Deportations in Second Term

US Elections 2024 : Donald Trump , who won the 2024 presidential election, is expected to intensify his push for mass deportations, mobilizing a broad range of U.S. government agencies to fulfill his campaign promise of removing record numbers of undocumented immigrants. 

Supporters and former officials predict that Trump will leverage all available resources—from the U.S. military to state governments and even diplomats—to carry out this aggressive agenda, which could involve deporting up to 1 million people annually.

During his first term, Trump struggled to ramp up deportations, but his second term is expected to be different, with a more concerted effort to use federal funding and pressure Republican-led states to cooperate. The aim is to target millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, building on his previous efforts to tap into existing immigration enforcement mechanisms.

Immigrant advocacy groups, however, warn that Trump's deportation plans could be costly, harmful, and divisive, leading to widespread family separations and severe disruption to communities. The American Immigration Council estimates that deporting 13 million undocumented immigrants could cost the U.S. nearly $1 trillion over a decade.

Key to the plan’s success will be the availability of more immigration officers, detention beds, and immigration court judges. While Trump allies like former ICE official Tom Homan emphasize that the scale of deportations will depend on budget allocations, the effort is likely to face significant opposition from within the government, particularly from civil servants who oppose the harsh tactics.

The Trump administration could also face resistance in the U.S. State Department, where foreign cooperation is crucial to ensure that other countries accept their citizens back. Trump’s first term saw limited success in persuading countries to take back deported individuals, especially from Central America.

Legal challenges are expected, with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) preparing to fight any overreach in immigration enforcement. One of the most contentious elements of Trump’s plan is the potential use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute, to deport alleged gang members. This law has not been used extensively in modern times, and critics fear it could lead to indefinite detention without judicial review.