Since taking office, President Trump has taken decisive actions to see the immediate removal of illegal immigrants. For four years, the United States has been plagued with the failed Biden administration, which had allowed for an open border, letting in millions of undocumented immigrants every year. Although this is a significant issue to our nation's national security, how much do we rely on illegal labor? Although deportations are necessary, it should be accounted for, as well as how much the country depends on them and the shock they may deliver to the economy.
The administration has expanded the 287(g) program, a training program for local law enforcement to perform federal immigration duties. Originating in 1996, it was downscaled due to accusations of racial profiling; however, with the new administration, its recent expansion has seen states like Florida and Georgia enacting laws to require and encourage participation in the 287(g) program.
The President has also issued executive orders mandating the cooperation of sanctuary jurisdictions to include in his immigration crackdown, which has been combated by lawsuits challenging such orders. This has also led to a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice against Illinois and Chicago for alleged interference with federal immigration enforcement.
Recently, events have unfolded concerning the trade wars with Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. Venezuela and Columbia refused to allow American military aircraft to deport undocumented immigrants. What resulted was trade wars that lasted less than a day, with both nations being forced to concede to the demands of the United States. Similarly, on February 1st, when President Trump signed the executive orders to deliver the 25% tariffs on both Canada and Mexico, Mexico negotiated a postponement of the tariffs, fell in line with the others, and accepted the demands of President Trump to receive deportations and are continuing negotiations related to the issue.
Operation Safeguard has been activated since the President took office in January, which aims to detain and expel undocumented migrants living in urban areas led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting individuals with a violent criminal history. This also allows for raids in significant cities and the reallocation of federal law enforcement and volunteer National Guard soldiers to carry out deportations.
However, these deportations come at a cost. It is not said enough how much illegal immigrants do for the economy. In agriculture, 50-70% are undocumented; in construction, 15-20% are undocumented; in hospitality and food services, 10-15% are undocumented; and a significant portion of manufacturing and meat processing. The Social Security Administration estimates that undocumented immigrants contribute $12 billion annually to the nation's economy, and the GDP would see a shrinkage of $434 billion upon removal.
This does not mean I support illegal immigration; however, knowing that the cost of deportation for a single undocumented immigrant is $10-15 thousand, which would add up to $110-165 billion for 11 million people, would hurt the economy. For these people, a path toward citizenship should be considered case-by-case. With how significant they are to the economy, if they have proven to be an innocent laborer, why not grant them citizenship? The policies can stay in place but grant innocent migrants immunity.
To conclude, the president’s policies are a crucial step in securing the United States' national security and the integrity of the border. However, there are better ways to do so and have the same results without the negative economic impacts. Nonetheless, action is better than inaction, and any action to solve the issue of our national security is of great benefit to our nation.
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