Former President Donald Trump, known for his strong anti-immigration rhetoric, recently announced his plan to kick out hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have entered the United States under two key Biden administration programs if he is reelected. Trump made these statements in an interview with Fox News, where he criticized the immigration programs created by the Biden administration to deter migrants from directly seeking asylum at the southern border. He warned the more than 1 million individuals who have entered the U.S. under these programs to prepare to leave the country if he wins a second term, emphasizing a crackdown on immigration.
One of the programs established by the Biden administration allows migrants to schedule asylum appointments through a smartphone app called CBP One, starting from the Mexican border with Guatemala. Over 800,000 migrants have used this system since its inception in January 2023. Another program launched last year permits 30,000 individuals per month from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to come to the U.S. if they have a financial sponsor, pass background checks, and fly into an American airport instead of arriving at the southern border. Approximately 530,000 people have entered the U.S. under this program.
Both of these programs grant migrants humanitarian parole for two years, with the aim of decreasing border chaos, disrupting smuggling networks, and enhancing the vetting process for migrants entering the country. However, Republicans argue that these initiatives circumvent existing immigration laws established by Congress and admit individuals who may not qualify to enter the U.S. Several Republican-led states have filed lawsuits to halt these policies. Trump and his immigration advisor, Stephen Miller, have elaborated on plans for mass deportations in a potential second term, including utilizing wartime powers, collaborating with like-minded governors, and involving the military.
Despite Trump’s assertions and plans for mass deportations, experts believe that implementing such actions on a large scale would pose significant legal, logistical, and financial challenges. Immigration advocacy groups have raised concerns that Trump’s promises of mass deportations are spreading fear within migrant communities. Esther Sung, the legal director for the Justice Action Center, highlighted the longstanding use of humanitarian parole by administrations from both parties and emphasized the benefits that immigrants bring to communities and the economy. Sung criticized Trump’s proposals as extreme, unprecedented, and cruel, noting that no administration has previously attempted to revoke parole from migrants on the scale that Trump is suggesting.
In response to legal challenges from Republican-led states seeking to end sponsorship programs for certain migrant groups, a federal judge in Texas allowed the programs to continue, ruling that the states had not demonstrated financial harm. Sung emphasized the importance of humanitarian parole in reuniting families, providing relief for those fleeing persecution, and addressing labor shortages. She condemned Trump’s approach as fear-mongering and stressed the positive impact that immigrants have on society. As the 2024 election approaches, the issue of immigration remains a contentious topic, with diverging views on how to address the challenges at the southern border and the treatment of migrants entering the United States.
