Trump has promised to close the border on day one of his presidency. It was a good campaign promise, but it was one he could not keep. He can only shut down the ports of entry along the border with Mexico. However, there are hundreds of miles with rough terrain and no visible border guard presence.
Stopping or even just slowing down border crossings will harm the economies on both sides of the border, but the U.S. side will suffer more than the Mexican side. Right now, crossing through these ports of entry is already a nightmare, with waiting times sometimes taking as much as five hours.
It should be noted that many Mexicans enroll their children in American schools and that many individuals who work on the U.S. side live on the Mexican side because it is much more economical, not to mention the millions of Americans who cross the border for dental work and plastic surgery. Any efforts to close these ports of entry or further slow them down will negatively impact the economies of border towns.
Raiding some businesses on day one is something they are contemplating. This would be part of the massive raids they hope to conduct for four years. If these raids occur, they will likely target Democratic businesses.
Also, it would be tough to stop all immigration at sea and airports, not to mention the long border with Canada.
Are there violent immigrants that we should be worried about?
The right-wing has grossly exaggerated the threat posed by immigrants when less than 1% commit violent crimes. You are more likely to be killed in one of the many mass shootings in the U.S. than harmed by an immigrant.
Eliminating birthright citizenship is part of the strategy of right-wing politicians who want to revoke the birthright citizenship established by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Birthright citizenship, also known as “jus soli,” is the legal principle that any person born on U.S. soil automatically becomes a citizen of the United States. Many in Trump’s circle want to eliminate this right, but they don’t have a legal leg to stand on. Nonetheless, they will try.
Blended families, which include both citizens and undocumented individuals, are another target of the right. The Trumpers suggest they would like to deport entire families, which would be a legal nightmare if they tried.
Mass deportation, a significant promise, will not be so easy to achieve. The Trumpers could stage a one-day media event after about 30 days in office where they might gather 10,000 to 50,000 immigrants for a mass deportation effort. This would include mostly immigrants in prisons, jails, and detention centers, along with many who have been waiting for their asylum hearings since COVID-19 slowed the system down. After this show-and-tell publicity stunt, it will be hard to gather the large numbers they want. While they claim they will deport millions, it is doubtful they can even reach 500,000. At the same time, thousands will continue to cross the borders with or without coyotes.
Stopping drugs by shutting down the border is another of their important goals, and it is almost laughable. Most of the drugs coming into the U.S. do not arrive in the backpacks of immigrants walking in. We need to admit that vast amounts of drugs are allowed in by customs and other authorities who are paid astronomical bribes to let them through. These drugs arrive in 18-wheel semis, planes, and boats.
How can our government stop drugs from coming into the U.S. when we cannot stop the same drugs from entering our prisons?
Many individuals have told me and others that they had never used fentanyl or heroin until they got into prison. If you have the money, any and every drug is available inside our prisons. Bribes pave the way for these drugs to enter, along with other banned items.
If our government starts picking up workers at service industry jobs, construction sites, meat processing plants, and farms, we will, within six months, see a huge increase in the cost of everything.
Remittances currently being sent to developing countries by immigrants working in the U.S. would be severely diminished if these workers were deported. This would worsen the situation for individuals forced to move north searching for a country where they could support their loved ones.
What will it cost to implement Trump’s deportation strategy?
Some estimate it could cost between $88 billion and $100 billion. To move forward, he would have to cannibalize other budgets. They plan to use some of this money to give contracts to local police and vigilante groups to police the border and arrest immigrants. As you can imagine, this is a clear recipe for violating the rights of immigrants and other dark-skinned individuals. Within this scenario, there is potential for violence and even homicides.
Additionally, there is legislation being moved through Congress to make it easier for immigration and law enforcement officers to stop so-called suspected immigrants and demand documentation.
Can Mexico or other countries refuse to take back those being deported?
Imagine the image of immigration buses and planes loaded with potential deportees being turned back, with Mexico refusing to accept them.
A group of 17 Republican lawmakers claims that over 100,000 deportees are waiting to be sent back to countries refusing to take them. ICE has documented 23 countries as «recalcitrant» in accepting their citizens. Only 18% of non-citizens who received «removal» orders in 2020 were deported from the U.S.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, there has been a 1,800% increase in detentions of Chinese nationals illegally crossing the border since 2020.
If you are a white immigrant, documented or undocumented, you probably do not need to worry. This action by the Trump gang is directed toward people of color.
This will be a historic and difficult time. But believe me, many will rise to the occasion of this battle.
In the months ahead, there will be many lawsuits filed by good lawyers and organizations. We are in for a wild ride, and we must not be silent.
Oops, I almost forgot to mention that over 100 Mexican firefighters were risking their lives in California, and no one was calling for their deportation.
