Over the past year, Donald Trump has frequently declared to gather and deport an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants during his rallies and debates. There are even occasions where he vowed to force them to leave in just two years.
However, Trump’s aides have not said if his plan is seriously being considered, since forced deportations of millions of people would be remarkably expensive and perhaps reasonably improbable. For the time being, the campaign has yet to disclose specifics on how mass removals would be executed, who would be targeted, and the total price for it all.
In a report by American Action Forum, they estimate that locating, detaining, legally processing and deporting all of the illegal immigrants in the U.S. would cost up to $300 billion. In order to meet Trump’s two-year objective, Congress would need to provide funds to hire, train, and field around 90,000 immigration apprehension agents and build about 1,250 immigration courts (we only have 57 such courts).
With the loss of labor and purchasing power of 11 million people – many of whom work, own businesses and pay their taxes – could reduce the country’s gross domestic product by $1 trillion. The farming, construction, meatpacking and hospitality industries would take a substantial hit by labor shortages. The study suggest
However on Monday, while being interviewed on Fox News, Trump clarified his stance he said he would focus on first deporting murderers, gang leaders, and other “bad people,” which replicates Obama’s deportation goals. He even goes so far as to praise Obama’s deportation record.
“What people do not know is that Obama got tremendous numbers of individuals out of the country,” stated Trump. “[President George W.] Bush, the same thing. Lots of people were brought out of the country with the existing laws. Well, I’m going to do the same thing.”
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement records, the agency deported 234,413 people in 2015, which is a significant decrease compared to the record-high deportation of 409,849 people in 2012. The reduction was due to the Obama administration’s efforts to target only those who threaten national security and public safety, not those who possess clean criminal records and strong family ties in the nation.
It is important to know that 40% of those who illegally live in the country had arrived on lawful circumstances and overstayed their visas once they expired. If your visa is expiring soon, our North East Ohio immigration attorneys at Sintsirmas & Mueller can help you obtain a renewal.
Contact us and request a consultation today.
