In an interview with NBC News, Donald Trump confirmed his intention to deport all immigrants residing illegally in the US within the next four years. According to estimates by the US Department of Homeland Security, as of January 2022, there were about 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, a number that may have increased.
Mr. Trump has insisted that implementing the plan is necessary, although he acknowledges it will be a major challenge. He will declare illegal immigration a national emergency when he takes office on January 20, 2025, mobilizing resources from multiple federal agencies to support a broad crackdown.
Despite his focus on deportations, Mr Trump has also expressed a desire to reach a deal to protect “Dreamer” immigrants – people brought to the US illegally as children – and has stressed that Republicans are willing to discuss the issue.
In addition to his deportation campaign, Mr. Trump is expected to sign an executive order on his first day in office to end birthright citizenship, a right protected by a 19th-century amendment to the U.S. Constitution and reinforced by an 1898 Supreme Court ruling.
Mr. Trump acknowledged that ending the right would face legal challenges and would likely require a constitutional amendment, a process that would take time and require broad consensus.
To carry out his campaign of deportations, Mr. Trump is asking Congress to significantly increase funding for immigration enforcement. According to Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s incoming border chief, and Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff, a major investment is needed to ensure the campaign is successful.
A report from the American Immigration Council estimates that deporting all illegal immigrants over a decade would cost about $88 billion a year.
Mr. Trump’s plan raises many questions about its feasibility and economic efficiency, and is expected to cause great controversy within American politics. With these strong moves, Mr. Trump continues to affirm his tough stance on immigration, one of the main pillars of his election campaign.
