A ‘Global Solution’ that won’t solve anything: Why mass deportation is not the answer

Introduction: Why Mass Deportation Is not the Answer

The fear of deportation has become a growing concern for a number of immigrants following the outcome of the 2024 Presidential election. According to Pew Research Center, approximately 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently reside in the U.S., with incoming President Donald Trump vowing to launch the largest mass deportation plan in American history. This type of rhetoric infringes on the human rights of immigrants and has been gaining support from political leaders and the public, with 57 per cent of respondents favoring this proposal, when asked.

A mass deportation would constitute several legal, ethical, and economic dilemmas considering the amount of funding alone it would cost to carry out such a program. Furthermore, it undermines human dignity and raises concerns about the growing structural inequalities faced by a population already so vulnerable.  For many immigrants, a mass deportation would mean being separated from their families and being forced to sustain a life without them. Immigrants have historically encountered countless tribulations and oftentimes, their families are the glue that keeps them together.

The Math of Mass Deportation: A Flawed Equation and Costly Mistake

A special report from the American Immigration Council suggests that a program aiming to arrest one million people per year would average out to a total cost of $967.9 billion over the course of more than a decade. Undocumented immigrants consume a large quantity of the U.S. labor market. Mass deportation would remove 1.5 million workers from the construction industry, 224,770 in the agriculture industry, one million in the hospitality industry and 870, 400 in the manufacturing industry, further exacerbating the U.S. labor shortage. Looking at the brute reality, undocumented immigrants often occupy fields that U.S. born workers do not. Without their labor, many U.S. industries would weaken, causing an extreme downfall in the nation’s economy. Mass deportation would not only cause a significant labor shortage but also lead to a significant loss of high-skilled talent for the U.S. Roughly 1.7 million undocumented immigrants hold a higher education degree and as of 2022, over 457, 000 undocumented immigrants were enrolled in colleges or universities. This accounts for about 15.4 per cent of undocumented immigrants that have a strong educational background but continue to be overlooked and underutilized. In March 2024, there were approximately over 860,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, 535,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and roughly one million parolees eligible for work permits under their current status. A mass deportation could target over two million individuals legally eligible to work in the U.S., which would further hurt the US economy.

It’s Not Just About Money

Mass deportation is both unethical and unsuccessful given the number of undocumented immigrants that keep attempting to return to the U.S. after being deported. This was the case for an undocumented man from El Salvador who mentioned in an interview from Angel Escamilla Garcia that his family is waiting for him in the U.S. when asked why he keeps returning. A mass deportation has the ability to destroy families and the moral implications surrounding it should negate such a plan.  Research indicates that 5.5 million U.S.-born minors are living with at least one undocumented parent, and 1.8 million U.S.-born minors live with two undocumented parents. Mass deportation poses significant ethical concerns as it threatens to separate these children from their families and primary caregivers.

This would also instill a climate of fear which often prevents undocumented immigrants from accessing public services such as health care, food stamps, and employment. Further research also suggests that the threat of parental separation can cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and toxic stress in young children. In addition to fear, mass deportation will have devastating economic consequences especially for mixed status households as their median annual income is $75,000. This estimate drops down to $39,000 without the contribution of undocumented members. With over a 48 per cent drop in median household income, mass deportation would deprive millions of family members without the adequate financial support needed to sustain their livelihoods. A U.S. citizen child may have to leave the U.S. and resettle to a foreign country if their parent(s) are deported. This could be incredibly dangerous, given the high number of immigrants who sought asylum in the U.S. Additionally, this plan would send undocumented immigrants to the U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, where preventable deaths have occurred, particularly due to inadequate medical care. A professor at Columbia University Medical Center has specifically linked the death of Kamyar Samimi, a 64-year-old man from Iran to the fact that he was detained, and his treatment was stopped. These detention centers are unethical and fail to provide adequate medical care to undocumented immigrants.

Why the Law Matters

Undocumented immigrants have a right to due process as stated in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This means that no person within the boundaries of the U.S. can be deprived of their legal rights without proper application of the law. Mass deportations can affect an immigrant’s ability to seek proper counsel as undocumented immigrants facing deportation are not granted the right to legal counsel as they would be in criminal proceedings. Lacking proper representation can affect an individual’s right to due process. Additionally, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Art.14(2) states “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”. Many undocumented immigrants crossed borders as Asylees or Refugees and a mass deportation would violate the above principle. The Trump administration aims to drastically expand immigration detention centers and double the 41,000 ICE detention beds currently allocated by congress. This also violates the UDHR Art. 9 which states “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”. While the U.S. has not formally ratified the UDHR, it still has a commitment to respect its principles, which it will fail to do if the mass deportation plan occurs.

Looking Beyond the Borders

Mass deportation is counterproductive and constitutes a harmful policy that fails to address the root causes of migration. While it is essential to organize and control the U.S. border, mass deportation is not the answer. An alternative would be to necessitate new pathways to legalization so we can optimize using practical skills based on how advanced an individual is in that skill and not their nationality or where they come from. Immigrants serve a purpose in the U.S., but their skills are being underutilized due to fear-mongering politicians perpetuating the idea that undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. to steal jobs from Americans or commit crimes. A mass deportation raises concerns about human rights, psychological health, and family separation on the basis of ethics. Legally, it can lead to a violation of due process and undermine the principles set out in the UDHR. Economically, mass deportation can disrupt several industries reliant on the hard work and labor from undocumented immigrants.

An estimated 9.3 million undocumented immigrants are eligible to earn U.S. citizenship based on categories passed by U.S. legislators. This means that a pathway to citizenship is accessible but under-utilized due to the fear and threat of being deported. Research suggests that Immigrants are 80 per cent more likely to start businesses in the U.S. than U.S.-born citizens. This would not only benefit immigrants, but the U.S. economy, and the citizens rendering the services. Finding effective ways to speed up the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing times for a number of applications is crucial for obtaining legal status in the U.S. In addition, USCIS should prioritize the credibility of its discretionary procedures to ensure fair and nondiscriminatory processing of undocumented immigrant applications. In the meantime, those who oppose mass deportation should educate undocumented immigrants about their rights whenever possible. Despite all the divisive rhetoric, many undocumented immigrants are highly skilled, contribute significantly to the economy and are invaluable. It would be legally, morally, and economically wrong and insufficient to follow through with a mass deportation plan.