Donald Trump has long stoked anti-immigrant rhetoric, calling undocumented immigrants “animals,” “monsters,” and “murderers,” while accusing them of “poisoning the blood of our country.” He has spread false claims that immigrants are behind a surge in crime, even suggesting that their behavior is somehow “in their genes.” At one point, Trump even implied that immigrants were “eating the pets” of American citizens, an inflammatory statement that sparked widespread backlash.
As the newly elected president, Trump is reportedly planning to carry out what he describes as the “largest mass deportation operation” on his first day in office. According to Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, this operation is part of a broader mandate he believes he has received from American voters.
“The American people delivered a resounding victory for President Trump, and it gives him a mandate to govern as he campaigned, to deliver on the promises that he made,” Leavitt told Fox News. “Which include, on Day 1, launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrants that Kamala Harris has allowed into this country.”
Axios has reported that this deportation operation is expected to target “millions of undocumented immigrants” currently living in the U.S.
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Trump has previously singled out both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing them of opening the border to a massive influx of migrants. In a rant last September, he claimed that these immigrants were causing chaos in American towns, and even made unsubstantiated claims about them engaging in acts like eating pets.
“What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country,” Trump said at the time. “Look at what’s happening to the towns all over the United States. And a lot of towns don’t want to talk — not going to be Aurora or Springfield. A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they’re so embarrassed by it. In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
Trump’s rhetoric about immigration has become increasingly extreme. Earlier in the year, he promoted the idea of “remigration”—the forced deportation of both undocumented and legal immigrants—an idea popular among far-right nationalist movements in Europe. Remigration, which advocates for the removal of immigrants even if they are lawfully present in a country, has drawn comparisons to policies supported by European figures like Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader. Le Pen herself distanced herself from the concept, calling it too extreme.
Trump has made clear that his administration would go to great lengths to restrict immigration, pledging to end various migrant entry programs, suspend refugee resettlement, and deport individuals who have been allowed into the country under current policies.
“We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal entries, terminate the Kamala phone app for smuggling illegals (CBP One App), revoke deportation immunity, suspend refugee resettlement, and return Kamala’s illegal migrants to their home countries,” Trump said, describing his vision for immigration reform.
The Washington Post reports that Trump has outlined at least 41 distinct promises for his first day in office, including mass deportations and the banishment of transgender women from participating in sports.
Trump’s plans for mass deportation have been met with both alarm and support. His critics argue that such drastic measures would lead to widespread human rights violations, while his supporters view them as necessary to preserve national security and sovereignty. As he prepares to take office once again, the country braces for the controversial policies that Trump has long championed.
