How Sensible Are Trump’s Deportation Plans?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun carrying out the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan, prompting a wide variety of ideological perspectives.

The Details: President Donald Trump is prioritizing deporting unauthorized immigrants who have committed crimes in the U.S. and/or are believed to be threats. Arrests at formerly “protected areas” have been permitted, and deportation flights began days after Trump was sworn in. Trump has postulated that deportations would keep more money within the U.S., supporting the American working class.

Opposition: Some on the left voice concerns about the economic impact of mass deportations. Opinion writers for Politico (Lean Left bias) speculated, for example, that deporting unauthorized farmworkers – who occupy about 40% of their industry – would force the Trump administration “to provide more visas to keep food flowing to stores.” They further argued, “American-born workers will continue to be undercut by a captive, lower-wage workforce — and foreign-born workers will continue to be mistreated.” Opinion writers for The Christian Science Monitor (Center) similarly stated, “Expelling unauthorized immigrants while putting up barriers to new arrivals [has] long-term implications for the country’s aging labor force.” 

Support: The Monitor writers also highlighted common ground on immigration, such as widespread support for deporting unauthorized immigrants with criminal records. A group of Quakers is suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) based on the belief “that the presence of worshippers from different backgrounds is integral to hearing messages from God.” An opinion writer for The Blaze (Right) suggested the stance twists Christian Scripture: “We are not morally obligated to allow our daughters to be assaulted and raped by illegal aliens.” The writer emphasized Catholic teachings to welcome refugees to an extent: “The Church says that immigrants should not violate the law by coming across the border illegally... We are not called to allow immigration to run wild without concern for our common good.”