The 2024 election marked the return of Donald J. Trump to the Oval Office, a position he had held until his losses to President Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential elections.  A key point in President Trump’s campaign was the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in the United States. This issue, which has been significant in the MAGA campaign since Trump’s first run for office in 2016, has become a central focus of his 2024 presidential campaign. With Trump’s victory, he has pledged to deport all 11 million undocumented migrants living illegally in the U.S., a move that will undoubtedly have a profound impact. The question that remains is, how will he accomplish this? The uncertainty of this plan leaves many in the United States concerned about its implications. 

 President Trump pledged to begin ICE raids nationwide on his first day in office. Saying that, the raids would start with only targeting undocumented immigrants who are violent offenders with a criminal record in the US. Which is roughly 700,000 of the 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States. These raids began targeting these violent offenders in the sanctuary cities of Chicago and New York, with more cities nationwide to follow. While also allowing immigration officials and other federal agents to arrest undocumented migrants near so-called sensitive sites such as schools, hospitals, or places of worship, Which has led to an outcry by asylum seekers and migrant activists alike nationwide. Since these raids began, an estimated 7,400 undocumented migrants have been arrested so far in Chicago and NYC and also across the entire United States. 

Since assuming office on January 20, President Trump has also ordered the deployment of 1,500 active-duty, reserve, and national guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. This move aimed to strengthen security by building temporary and permanent border wall sections. The troops have also assisted CBP (Customs and Border Protection) with day-to-day operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.

President Trump has also canceled the CBP One app, which allowed asylum seekers waiting on the Mexican side of the border to apply for asylum and have the ability to meet with customs officials. The abruptness of this decision by President Trump to cancel the CBP One app has led to the cancellation of over 30,000 asylum appointments, which has left tens of thousands of immigrants seeking asylum at risk on the Mexican side of the border. This sudden and drastic move has left many in the U.S.  shocked and concerned about the fate of these asylum seekers.

The decisions made by the Trump administration in the past couple of weeks have led to a national outcry by activist groups and ordinary citizens alike. Many Americans feel these people, even though they may not be documented citizens, are staples in communities nationwide. What President Trump is doing is unjust and unfair to them. These decisions are not just policies on paper; they directly affect the lives of many Americans nationwide.