The Trump administration has escalated its pressure campaign against undocumented immigrants and is now targeting hundreds of thousands of individuals legally residing in the United States. This campaign aims to make them illegal. The move has drawn widespread backlash and alarm from immigrant advocacy groups and legal scholars. It has been two and half years since this administration took office and caused chaos by prioritizing mass deportations. This move to restrict immigration fits seamlessly into its larger “America First” agenda.
Recent data obtained by NBC News reveals that deportations under the Trump administration are currently running slightly behind those conducted by President Joe Biden at the same time last year. This statistic highlights the ongoing nature of immigration enforcement and the administration’s commitment to reducing the immigrant population in the country. The strategic intent therefore, at least on the surface, appears to discourage immigrants from coming to the United States. It seeks to accomplish this by identifying ways to spare them from the confusing, time-consuming deportation procedures most often required.
One particularly unusual aspect of this campaign really jumps out. The Trump administration unilaterally granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to the previously confidential taxpayer information that we do possess. This step is intended to more easily find and deport undocumented immigrants, but it has sparked huge privacy worries among many non-undocumented Americans and non-Americans. Thousands of immigrants have found themselves facing a more surprising effect—social security numbers canceled. Of course, the administration has almost criminally misidentified hundreds of thousands of these people as dead when in fact they’re living and legally working in the country.
Undocumented immigrants are already barred from receiving any Social Security benefits or using Medicare. Unfortunately, now they’re facing increased obstacles as the Trump administration smartens its teeth on immigration policy. The administration outboards a “whole-of-government” strategy. This new enforcement pathway bolsters immigration mandates but also doubles down on our commitment to secure our borders and enforce the laws already on the books.
Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, recently touted these actions in a statement. He claimed that the law mandating the registration of a specific class of immigrants had been on the books for years, only now being enforced. This change is indicative of a broader push for immigration enforcement from the Trump administration.
“Over 77 million people delivered a resounding Election Day mandate in November to secure our borders, mass deport criminal illegal migrants, and enforce our immigration laws,” – Kush Desai
The administration is applying the same tricks they did in 2010. One important strategy, referred to as “attrition through enforcement,” relies on state-level anti-immigration legislation designed to deter immigrants from settling in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been perhaps the most aggressive in publicly campaigning against these efforts. Indeed, she anticipates a tidal wave of departures as a consequence.
“We got 20, 21 million people that need to go home.” – Kristi Noem
The administration has taken other, deeper steps as well. Simply put, they are weaponizing housing policies by way of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to coerce immigrant families into self-eviction. This preventative approach raises profound moral and ethical questions about the treatment of immigrant families. It takes a very real toll on communities from every corner of our country.
Michael Lukens, a Chicago-based immigration attorney, described the present climate for immigration enforcement in just one word: Scary.
“What we are seeing now is this full-court press by the government on immigration,” – Michael Lukens
As these policies play out, legal experts raise alarm about their effects on people’s civil liberties. Bills like this have spurred legal challenges, as noted by University of San Francisco law professor Bill Hing.
“I think someone being prosecuted has a very good Fifth Amendment argument not to register.” – Bill Hing
Advocates for immigrants say the administration’s moves are part of a larger campaign of fearmongering and disinformation. Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, called attention to the vital contributions undocumented immigrants make to the economy. Though they pay into Social Security, they continue to be ineligible for benefits.
“Continued fearmongering and disinformation because, in fact, undocumented immigrants pay into Social Security but are never eligible to get those benefits.” – Marielena Hincapié
Nonetheless, Hincapié pointed to a worrisome function. He underscored this by explaining how ICE is canceling the legal status of people while saying they are going after undocumented immigrants.
“On the one hand, the rhetoric of Trump has been about focusing on the undocumented immigrants and the worst ‘criminals,’ etc., but what we’ve actually seen from a policymaking perspective is they are actually taking people’s legal status away.” – Marielena Hincapié
With the latter, the Trump administration has truly increased the level of enforcement. This exclusion affects all undocumented people, as well as people who are lawfully present in the U.S. Through leveraging multiple federal agencies and resources, it seeks to impose its vision of immigration reform. This White House initiative is far more insidious in its deep purpose to shrink the number of immigrants.