Since assuming the presidency on Monday, Donald Trump has unveiled a series of executive orders focused on immigration, signalling a robust initiative aimed at addressing the issue of undocumented migrants in the United States.
Trump has initiated over 21 actions aimed at reforming various aspects of the US immigration system, mainly focussing on the processing and deportation of migrants from the country.
The White House has subsequently released information regarding several of these initiatives. On Friday, the newly appointed White House Press Secretary released images depicting deportation flights conducted by military cargo planes.
Despite Trump’s assurances of “mass deportations” and arrests, the extent to which his plan is currently being put into action remains uncertain.
In the first week of his administration, Trump implemented several notable immigration actions, prompting comparisons to previous policies.
At the heart of Trump’s immigration strategy lies the objective of expelling undocumented migrants from the United States, coupled with the commitment to implement “mass deportations.”
The Department of Defence has announced plans to deploy military aircraft to deport over 5,000 individuals currently held by Border Patrol in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.
On Thursday, the fourth day of the Trump administration, ICE reported that more than 1,000 individuals were removed or repatriated.
Trump is taking steps to broaden the reach of expedited deportations for undocumented migrants, reinstating a policy from his initial term that Biden halted.
Expedited removals were once confined to regions within 100 miles (160 km) of US international borders, targeting individuals who did not seek asylum or could not demonstrate a valid claim.
Recent changes implemented by Trump have broadened the scope of removals, allowing them to occur anywhere across the United States. This policy will specifically target undocumented migrants who are unable to demonstrate that they have resided in the country for over two years.
Deportations have occurred across various administrations, not solely during the Trump era.
In fiscal year 2024, the Biden administration deported 271,000 immigrants to 192 countries. The current preliminary figures under Trump indicate an average of approximately 740 per day, reflecting a slight increase.
As reported by the Migration Policy Institute, during his four-year term, Biden oversaw 1.5 million deportations. This figure aligns closely with the actions taken during Trump’s initial term in office.
The figure falls short of the deportations executed during Barack Obama‘s initial term, which reached a cumulative total of 2.9 million.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon confirmed the deployment of 1,500 active-duty troops to the United States’ southern border. Officials announced that this deployment adds to the existing 2,500 active-duty personnel in the region, resulting in a significant 60% increase in Army troops stationed there.
Acting Defence Secretary Robert Salesses announced that troops will deploy helicopters to assist Border Patrol agents in their monitoring efforts. The construction of barriers aimed at preventing migrants from entering will also receive assistance from them.
Salesses indicated that “this is just the beginning,” suggesting that additional troops could be deployed soon.
Officials have indicated several new “border enforcement missions” are currently in the planning stages, though details remain undisclosed.
President Biden has dispatched active-duty troops to the border to support Border Patrol in mainly administrative roles as the expiration of Title 42 approaches. This public health order, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitated the rapid expulsion of migrants.
In the final year of his presidency, border crossings experienced a notable decline. In December 2024, the final complete month of the Biden administration, approximately 47,330 migrant apprehensions were documented, a significant decrease from the nearly 250,000 apprehensions reported in December 2023.
The current figures fall short of the monthly averages recorded during Trump’s first term, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2019, border patrol agents documented 132,800 encounters with migrants.
In a recent executive order, President Trump has enacted a suspension on the entry of all undocumented migrants into the United States. Border patrol agents have been directed to deny entry to individuals without providing them the opportunity for asylum hearings.
Before the order’s implementation, migrants possessed the legal right to arrive at the US border and seek asylum.
In June 2024, the Biden administration took a significant step by issuing an executive order that temporarily halted the right to seek asylum for individuals who did not arrive at an official point of entry or who failed to secure an appointment through CBP One, a mobile application designed for this purpose. In September, the government implemented additional measures to tighten asylum restrictions.
Trump has put the US refugee resettlement program on hold. In 2024, the United States, under the Biden administration, welcomed over 100,000 refugees, marking the highest number since 1995.
The administration has terminated a significant program initiated during the Biden era, which permitted as many as 30,000 migrants each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the United States on humanitarian grounds.
The “Remain in Mexico” policy, implemented initially during Trump’s first term, is set to be reinstated. Non-Mexican asylum seekers were compelled to remain in Mexico while awaiting the resolution of their asylum claims in the United States. Approximately 71,000 individuals were affected during Trump’s initial term in office.
The policy in question has faced significant backlash from immigration advocates, who argue that migrants frequently endure prolonged stays in Mexico, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by criminal gangs.
In the United States, immigration courts are currently facing a staggering backlog of approximately 3.6 million cases, resulting in migrants frequently enduring wait times that stretch into years. There is considerable uncertainty surrounding the fate of those cases and whether they will proceed to be heard.
Since assuming office, Trump has dismissed multiple high-ranking officials within the immigration court system, which could significantly affect the handling of ongoing cases.
The decision to eliminate the CBP One smartphone app marked a significant shift following Trump’s inauguration, impacting migrants who relied on the platform to arrange appointments with US border patrol agents.
The Biden administration introduced the CBP One app to facilitate and manage the entry process for migrants seeking refuge from persecution.
Approximately 30,000 individuals are reported stranded in Mexico following the app’s removal, leaving them with cancelled appointments.
Government figures obtained by CBS indicate that approximately 270,000 migrants are currently situated on the Mexican side of the border, awaiting appointments via the app.
The decision sparked deep distress among migrants who had undertaken arduous journeys to reach the border and had spent months awaiting their appointments.
Advocates argue that the removal has eliminated any viable options for safeguarding incoming migrants.
The American Civil Liberties Union has initiated a legal challenge in response to the app’s shutdown.
In response to expected waves of migrants resulting from Trump’s deportation orders, Mexico has initiated the construction of large tent shelters across nine border cities to provide temporary accommodation for those affected.
Enrique Licon, a municipal official from Ciudad Juárez, which shares a border with El Paso, Texas, informed Reuters that the newly established shelters are designed to accommodate thousands of individuals and are expected to be operational within a few days. He described the initiative as “unprecedented.”
The shelters are set to offer individuals food, medical care, and support in obtaining identification documents. A fleet of buses is prepared to assist in transporting Mexicans back to their hometowns.
The initiative is known as “Mexico Embraces You,” a comprehensive government campaign to welcome citizens facing deportation from the United States and assist them in reintegrating into their homeland.
Other neighbouring countries, such as Guatemala, are initiating comparable initiatives to accommodate their deportees.
Concerns have been voiced regarding Mexico’s and other nations’ preparedness to manage the influx of individuals that may soon arrive.
A significant number of migrants are escaping political instability and criminal violence in their countries of origin, prompting concerns regarding their safety upon potential return.
Several executive orders issued by Trump were intended to enhance the capabilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in apprehending and detaining undocumented migrants within the United States.
A significant shift in policy has occurred, as one of the new measures overturns a previously established guideline that barred immigration raids in locations considered “sensitive,” including schools, hospitals, and churches.
There are renewed calls for expanding a program that permits ICE to delegate its immigration enforcement responsibilities to state and local law enforcement agencies.
The exact number of raids conducted since inauguration day remains uncertain.
Cities are preparing for the extensive raids that Trump has vowed to carry out; however, sources have informed US media that ICE has thus far been engaged in what they describe as “routine operations.”
On Thursday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced that 538 arrests had been made.
In the 2024 fiscal year, ICE reported detaining over 149,700 individuals under the Biden administration, averaging approximately 409 daily detentions.
