Staff Reports
President-elect Donald Trump appears ready to take on the monumental task of leading the biggest deportation operation in American history. His ambitions might sound bold, but they come with some heavy competition. Surprisingly, the bar for “deporter-in-chief” was set during Obama’s time in office, when he was humorously nicknamed the “deporter-in-chief” by critics across the political spectrum. In fact, Obama managed to remove more illegal immigrants during his tenure than Trump did in his first term, and that’s an “achievement” few ever anticipated would be a source of bragging rights.
Moving the goalposts on this immigration issue begins with the sheer scale of the illegal immigrant population in America today. Estimates range from the Department of Homeland Security’s conservative figure of 11 million to the more alarmist 13-14 million according to other sources. Some even suggest the number could be two or three times higher. This is the messy state of affairs that any new policy must address, and, of course, the definitions of deportation itself add another layer of confusion. What constitutes a “deportation”? It turns out that it can be anything from court-ordered removals to the voluntary self-deportations that nobody seems to know how to count.
Willful ignorance? Liberals enraged about Trump’s plan to use the military to conduct mass deportations seem to forget that Biden and Obama both deported and expelled more people than Trump. The US also deported more people without any criminal record under Biden. pic.twitter.com/79Nlar0caU
— red. (@redstreamnet) November 21, 2024
The Independent certainly took a crack at unraveling these figures by delving into monthly enforcement statistics from the Department of Homeland Security. The results of their analysis reveal that Obama holds the title for the most removal orders, racking up around 1.57 million in his first term and slightly less in his second. Trump, in comparison, issued around 1.2 million in his first term while President Biden limped along with about 650,000. Talk about setting a high bar!
So, what’s the plan? The plan is as audacious as it is necessary: Trump has pledged to kick things into high gear, suggesting he may even enlist military assets to get the job done. Now, that certainly raises eyebrows. While many applaud the notion of getting serious about illegal immigration, the particulars of how the military would be involved are still shrouded in mystery. Legal hurdles aside, Trump must navigate the murky waters of policy-making while still holding onto the support of his base.
To lay claim to the title of “deporter-in-chief,” Trump faces a monumental task ahead. If he manages to round up around 3 million deportations over the next four years—whether through court orders or policies that promote voluntary departures—he could stake his claim to the throne currently occupied by Obama. Not that this title was ever one to be coveted, but in the arena of illegals being removed, numbers speak louder than applause. The coming months will test his administration’s resolve as it seeks to clear out illegal immigrants with criminal records and national security risks, and if success is achieved, he may just redefine what it means to uphold law and order in the land of the free.
