One million deportees, the Trump administration’s difficult goal for its first year
The figure has been mentioned as the objective of the mass expulsion operation, but logistical and financial obstacles cast doubt on whether it can be achieved
The figure has been swirling around immigration policy messages for months. “We can start with one million,” J. D. Vance repeatedly said as the November 5 presidential election approached, and he continued to cite it after he and Donald Trump had won. The Republican president’s public statements have been more ambiguous, but no less ambitious: he has repeatedly promised the “largest deportation in history.” Although this is only a fraction of the at least 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, deporting one million immigrants in a year would fulfill the promise, far exceeding Barack Obama’s average of 400,000 annual deportations. However, analysts and experts view the figure — which appears to be completely arbitrary — with suspicion and point to logistical and financial obstacles that cast doubt on its feasibility.
