Is Trump Handling Immigration Well?
Donald Trump campaigned on stronger border enforcement and mass deportations. Many voters supported that message because they wanted to reduce illegal immigration and protect public safety. But it is fair to ask whether the administration’s approach is as effective, lawful, and focused as it claims to be.
Who Is Being Deported?
Trump campaigned on deporting violent criminal aliens.
- In Trump’s first days in office, ICE focused on arresting dangerous criminals. ICE later shifted to arresting and deporting many people who were not criminals. [ABC]
- Only 3% of people detained by ICE during the first 14 months of the second Trump administration had a violent felony conviction. [ABC]
- ICE often arrests immigrants at courthouses when they come for scheduled hearings. That can discourage people from following the proper legal process. [CBS/YouTube] [CNS]
- Trump has repeated a claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets without evidence. [NBC]
- The Trump administration has also restricted asylum access for many people fleeing danger in Latin America. [AIC] [BCJ]
- Trump has welcomed white South African refugees who say they were facing persecution, even though the South African government disputes that claim. [AP/YouTube] [CBS] [PBS]
- An ICE arrest in a rural Montana town prompts a conservative community to take action. [YouTube]
What Is the Impact of Immigration and Deportation on the Economy?
- Immigrants fill critical labor needs in the United States. [CMSNY]
- Foreign-born workers help power roughly 21% of the U.S. food supply chain. [MPI]
- Immigrants working under H-1B visas fill critical needs in science and technology fields. [AIC] Raising the cost of H-1B visas can hurt U.S. industries. [FRBR]
Do Immigrants Drain the Economy?
- Undocumented immigrants paid roughly $97 billion in taxes in 2022. [IRI]
- Immigrants often pay more in taxes than the average person while receiving fewer benefits. [Cato]
Is ICE Behaving Well?
ICE agents have appeared in many American cities wearing masks and driving unmarked cars. Their aggressive tactics frequently spark protests.
- ICE agents shot Renée Good while she was protesting. [Wikipedia] ICE says Good was trying to run over the officer, while witnesses and video suggest she was trying to drive away when she was shot. [NYT/Youtube]
- ICE agents shot Alex Pretti while he was trying to help a woman who had been knocked down by officers. [Wikipedia] Agents wrestled Pretti to the ground and removed a gun from the back of his waistband. Pretti was holding his cellphone, not a gun. A second later, an agent shot and killed him. DHS says Pretti approached them with a gun. [NBC] But witnesses and video from the scene suggest Pretti did not reach for a weapon. [ABC/Youtube]
- ICE officers shot and killed Johan Duran, who was authorized to work in the United States, in a case of mistaken identity. [Reuters]
- In Minnesota, parents were afraid to pick up their children from school because of aggressive ICE actions, including the use of tear gas near schools. [MPRNews]
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a 2019 court order that protected him from deportation. [ABC]
- Trump says he wants to fight illegal immigration, but he also took credit for helping kill a bipartisan bill designed to address the issue before the 2024 election. Critics say the move was driven by political strategy. [TheHill]
Is There Another Way to Solve This Problem?
- Treat immigrants with dignity instead of demonizing them for political purposes.
- Distinguish between violent criminals, asylum seekers, and people who are contributing to the economy.
- Provide work visas for immigrants working in agriculture and other jobs where labor shortages are acute.
- Fund immigration courts so that people do not have to wait years for a decision.
- Improve border security without trampling due process or civil liberties.
- Continue to deport violent criminal aliens when the legal process is followed.
- Only deport people to their home countries if it is lawful and safe to do so.
- Support bipartisan legislation that addresses border enforcement, asylum, and legal immigration together.
- Protect families and communities from the harms of indiscriminate enforcement.