What Donald Trump's victory means for immigration

President-elect Donald Trump has promised a sweeping overhaul of U.S. immigration policy that aims to build on and tighten the already tough measures of his first term.

According to plans he shared during his campaign, Trump intends to begin the mass deportation of millions of people, a project that could be marked by large-scale workplace raids and the involvement of the US military, while also receiving federal funding invested in expanding the border wall between the US and Mexico.

Should Trump move forward with his proposed agenda, it would mark a dramatic shift in American immigration policy, targeting millions of undocumented immigrants and redefining the country's approach to new arrivals.

Trump's bleak view of immigration has shaped his political career since he launched his first presidential campaign in 2015. His rhetoric on the issue has raised concerns that his immigration agenda is rooted in an idealized fantasy of racial purity. In a speech in December, he said migrants coming to the U.S. were “poisoning the blood of our country.” Last month he said undocumented immigrants who commit murder have “bad genes.”

Trump's proposals have reignited debates about the legality, ethics and potential societal impact of such a sweeping crackdown. Critics argue that its policies could pose fundamental challenges to civil rights and humanitarian obligations. But Trump's campaign took advantage of growing public discontent over immigration and border security and portrayed their plans as a necessary response to what Trump calls a national crisis.

Here's what to know about Trump's immigration plan after he wins the presidential election.

Mass deportations

Trump made plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants a central theme of his immigration talks leading up to his second term. He signaled an ambition to carry out what he called “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” That could mean years of efforts to deport an estimated 11 million people who are in the country without authorization. The Trump administration's goal is to use expedited deportation procedures that allow for quick deportations without the usual court hearings.

During his election campaign, he emphasized that such measures would be within the existing legal framework and would not require new laws. They argued that mass deportations would benefit American workers by increasing wages and improving working conditions. But experts have warned that the sudden deportation of millions of immigrants would likely lead to economic instability, particularly in industries that rely heavily on illegal workers, such as agriculture and hospitality.

Critics of Trump's deportation strategy say it is inhumane, citing potential due process violations and the trauma that mass deportations could cause to families and communities. Many of the targets have lived in the USA for years and have children who are US citizens. The impact of such a drastic policy shift could also extend well beyond immigration and fundamentally alter the country's demographic and economic landscape.

Read more: How Trump won

Use of the military for immigration

Trump's proposal to use the military to enforce immigration rules represents a significant escalation in the federal government's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Citing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and the Insurrection Act, he plans to use federal troops to help arrest migrants to help at the southern border, a move that raises serious legal and ethical concerns about the military's role in domestic law enforcement.

Trump has announced that he will move thousands of troops currently stationed abroad to the US southern border. He has also announced that he will use the U.S. Navy to block the entry of fentanyl and fentanyl precursor chemicals into the country.

The militarization of immigration policy reflects Trump's broader strategy of portraying immigration as a security threat and portraying all undocumented immigrants as threats to public safety. The intent is to create an unprecedented, massive presence at the border, reinforced by the National Guard and local police from Republican-run states. Proponents argue that this approach is essential to national security, while critics view it as a dangerous precedent that undermines civil liberties and could lead to excessive force against vulnerable populations.

Trump also wants to build new detention centers where illegal immigrants await deportation, which the campaign says will allow immigrants to be processed and deported more quickly. These efforts will likely involve the military. Opponents fear this approach could mirror past abuses in immigration enforcement that ignore individual rights in favor of rapid, large-scale deportations.

Workplace raids

A second Trump administration plans to expand workplace raids as a method to identify and arrest undocumented immigrants. The strategy, which he also pushed in his first term, aims to increase the visibility and enforcement of immigration laws in everyday life, targeting industries that often employ unauthorized workers.

Trump has suggested that these crackdowns will not only prevent illegal employment but also lead to significant changes in the job market that will benefit American workers. But the practical impact of such raids could be far-reaching, disrupting local economies and stoking fear among immigrant communities. Critics argue that workplace raids often lead to chaos, separating families and exacerbating threats to the immigrant population. The resulting atmosphere of mistrust can cause immigrants to be afraid to report crimes or seek help in dangerous situations for fear of deportation.

Expansion of the border wall

Expanding and strengthening the border wall is another cornerstone of Trump's immigration agenda, a promise that resonates widely with his base.

The border between the United States and Mexico is almost 2,000 miles long. During Trump's first term, the U.S. government built less than 500 miles of border wall, much of it replacing smaller, dilapidated barriers.

Trump's GOP party platform, released during the Republican National Convention in July, promised: “We will finish the border wall.” Trump has hinted at plans to redirect military funds to build new sections of the wall, defying congressional appropriations – a Approach that mirrors the tactics of his first term, when he prioritized border security over other federal funding priorities.

Proponents of the wall argue that it is necessary for national security and controlling illegal immigration. But critics argue that the wall represents a misallocation of resources, and many experts argue that immigration challenges require comprehensive reforms rather than punitive measures.

The prospect of renewed construction raises environmental and logistical concerns, particularly in regions where the natural landscape could be compromised. Furthermore, the question of whether a border wall has any deterrent effect remains controversial. Studies suggest that a comprehensive approach to addressing the causes of migration would be more effective in the long term.

Back to the “Stay in Mexico” policy

Trump has promised to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy he introduced during his first campaign

Expression. That policy, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols, forced migrants who entered the U.S. through the southern border and sought asylum to return to Mexico while their cases were heard. During the Trump administration, this resulted in more than 65,000 non-Mexico migrants struggling to find temporary housing in northern Mexico.

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More border guards

Trump plans to hire 10,000 new border guards. This could be a difficult task as the U.S. Border Patrol struggles to fill existing positions due to poor morale and funding issues. Trump has promised to offer raises and bonuses to improve recruiting and retention within the agency.

Trump's plan would increase the Border Patrol by 50% and requires congressional approval. However, the campaign did not clarify how it would secure the necessary funding. In February, Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to a border security deal that would have added 1,500 more border patrol and immigration staff and expanded the roster of immigration judges and asylum officers. President Joe Biden promised to sign the measure. But the bill failed after Trump told Republicans to wait until after the election to implement it.

Abolition of birthright

On his first day back in office, Trump promised to issue an executive order ending the long-standing constitutional principle that grants citizenship to children born in the United States. Trump said he would direct federal authorities to require that every child born in the United States have at least one parent who is a lawful permanent resident or citizen before they can be issued a passport or Social Security number.

The 14th Amendment guarantees that all people born in the United States, regardless of race, have the rights of citizens. This amendment, ratified in 1868, aimed to repair the harm caused by the Supreme Court's 1857 Dred Scott decision, which ruled that blacks were not citizens. Any action Trump takes to deny birthright citizenship to people born in the U.S. is certain to be challenged in court and likely all the way to the Supreme Court.

Ideological screenings for immigrants

Trump has promised to reinstate the ban on travel from Muslim-majority countries that he implemented in his first term. His campaign team wrote in October 2023

In that post, the Trump campaign listed plans to send immigration agents to protests in the U.S. to expel “pro-jihadist” demonstrators from the country and to revoke college student visas for “radical anti-American and anti-Semitic foreigners.” “Sympathy for jihadists, Hamas, or Hamas ideology automatically leads to the exclusion” of immigrants seeking entry into the U.S., the campaign wrote.

Those ideas were expanded on in the GOP platform adopted during the Republican National Convention in July. “Republicans will use existing federal law to keep foreign Christian-hating communists, Marxists and socialists out of America,” the party platform says.