A Closer Look at US immigration policies, mass deportations, and human rights issues amid Trump's hardline measures
Introduction
“On my first day in office, I will deport 11 million immigrants,” President Trump declared during his pre-election campaign.
Although he did not entirely keep that promise, deportations continue every day across America, accompanied by numerous other breaches of constitutional and international human rights norms affecting immigrant communities.
Trump’s policies have sparked widespread protests, legal challenges, and growing concern among civil liberties groups.
Hardline Approach to Law Enforcement
In his second term in 2025, President Trump and his administration aggressively reshaped American immigration policy with a series of swift executive orders, marking a return to a hardline approach to law enforcement.
At the Mexican border, a national emergency was declared, deportation programs were expanded, and many of the previous administration’s decisions were overturned.
The deployment of tens of thousands of troops further intensified efforts to secure the border.
The administration suspended key programs such as CBP One and reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy while taking steps to strengthen physical barriers along the border.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of this saga is the Trump administration’s “shock and awe deportation” policy. This approach targeted not only undocumented immigrants but also legal visa holders who expressed any form of political dissent or disagreement with the regime.
“Catch and Release” practices were quickly abandoned in favor of expedited removal procedures, even invoking the Alien Enemy Act of 1798, to deport alleged members of a Venezuelan gang.
Measures were also introduced to revoke temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants, and an attempt was made to strip birthright citizenship from children born to undocumented immigrants. These radical steps have ignited intense legal and public debate.
Several orders—including those aiming to eliminate birthright citizenship—were blocked by the courts, while immigrant rights organizations filed lawsuits claiming that the new deportation practices violate constitutional and international human rights standards.
Critics argue that such actions blur the line between enforcing immigration laws and engaging in political repression, especially when legal immigrants and activists are also targeted.
Legal and Economic Consequences
These aggressive measures have instilled fear within immigrant communities in so-called “sanctuary cities” and disrupted local economies. Industries such as agriculture and construction now face labor shortages, as fear of raids spreads among immigrant workers.
Opponents of President Trump warn that the economic costs of such mass deportations, both direct and indirect, could be enormous, potentially threatening industries that rely on immigrant labor.
Actions Against Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters
In addition to his deportation promises, Donald Trump campaigned on taking action against pro-Palestinian student protesters. In recent weeks, he has unleashed a full-scale crackdown on these demonstrators.
Investigators from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who usually target human traffickers and drug smugglers, were tasked with tracking down students who expressed sympathy for the Palestinian cause on social media.
The Secretary of State personally signed an arrest order for Mahmoud Khalil—a former Columbia student, permanent resident, and leader of pro-Palestinian protests—resulting in his apprehension by immigration agents.
The order was issued under an obscure law provision that permits the deportation of foreign nationals deemed to have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old Columbia student and legal permanent resident, also faced harassment and attempts at arrest and deportation for supporting student protesters at a solidarity rally.
A judge intervened after her attorneys filed suit, ordering officials to cease their efforts.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, was ambushed by agents outside her home and detained on accusations of supporting Hamas.
According to her acquaintances and colleagues, her only “offense” was co-authoring an article in the school newspaper calling for the university to cut ties with Israel.
Conclusion
As these events unfold, it seems that the current actions may only be the beginning of something larger and far darker, reminiscent of history’s darkest chapters when anyone labeled as different or unwanted had to fear for their freedom and even their life.
Although many believed such measures were a thing of the past, it appears that conservative ideologies and right-wing policies are rapidly gaining ground, not only in the US but around the world.
The line between right-wing conservatism and tyranny is extremely thin. It is all too easy for a nation to slip into an unwanted dictatorship. For this reason, caution is essential, even when policies are presented as being in the nation’s best interest.
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