Newsweek, January 2025
Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations may come to fruition over the coming weeks as immigrant communities prepare for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Trump has argued that the deportations are needed to address the rise in migrants who have entered illegally from the U.S.-Mexico border over the past few years, pointing to issues like public safety and national security. Critics of the policy, however, say large-scale deportations would be inhumane, as well as have negative ramifications on the economy, arguing that U.S. citizens are unlikely to fill the jobs vacated by deported migrants.
Democrats’ ability to rebuild trust with voters on immigration issues may be critical to their ability to stage a comeback in the 2026 midterms. Meanwhile, Trump must avoid going too far to alienate voters who are more moderate on border issues.
