Former President Donald Trump has ramped up his hardline immigration rhetoric, announcing that the GOP platform now includes plans for “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.”
What Trump Said
Trump’s statement follows his contentious theory that crime rates in Central American countries, like El Salvador, are decreasing because “they’re sending their murderers to the United States of America.”
He referenced President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s era, which saw more than one million Mexican immigrants deported under Operation Wetback in 1954, marking one of the largest mass deportations in American history. Trump aims to surpass this with his future plans, asserting, “He had the largest deportation operation we’ve ever had.”
In a lengthy section of his speech, Trump blamed immigrants for various societal issues, stating, “We have become a dumping ground for the world, which is laughing at us. They think we’re stupid.”
Numbers Tell a Different Story
These declarations contrast sharply with current data and expert opinions. In 2022, government estimates placed the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States at around 11 million, with over 80% having lived in the country for more than a decade. Last month, Trump claimed there were 18 million undocumented immigrants, a figure that remains unverified.
Logistical Challenges
Immigration experts and former homeland security officials highlight the immense logistical, legal, bureaucratic, and financial challenges associated with such a massive deportation effort, as reported by the New York Times. Implementing the mass deportations Trump envisions within a four-year presidential term is considered virtually impossible due to the significant costs, complexities, and human impacts involved.
