“Mass Deportation Now!” read the signs at the Republican National Convention, in full-throated endorsement of Donald Trump Making Mass Deportation Central to His Campaign, Some Republicans Are Worried in what would be the largest deportation campaign in American history.
However, not all of them support this hard line.
Lauren B. Peña, a Republican activist from Texas, said she was troubled by Trump’s language on mass deportations, including the use of terms like “illegals” and “invasion.”
Like some Republicans in Congress who are pushing for more nuanced immigration policies, Peña said she was holding out hope that Trump did not mean what he said.
“He’s not meaning to go and deport every family that crosses the border; he means deport the criminals and the sex offenders,” she said.
But, despite these reservations, Trump and his team are dead serious. He is making immigration the centrepiece of his drive to win back the presidency as he pulls the Republican Party toward a harder line that hasn’t been seen since Dwight D. Eisenhower took his place in the White House and rolled out a deportation policy with the infamous name “Operation Wetback.”
Trump Making Mass Deportation Central to His Campaign
In an interview with Time Magazine recently, Trump estimated that he would call up the National Guard and perhaps the military to round up and deport 15 million to 20 million people, when in fact government estimates say some 11 million undocumented migrants are living in the United States.
He now raises the stakes for the election, where it will not simply be about strengthening border security but more about America’s immigration policy.
With the election looming in November, both parties are scrambling for the vote of Latinos, which will no doubt prove pivotal in several swing states. Previously, Trump received 35 per cent of Hispanic voters in 2020, and there is a growing portion of that demographic that is interested in enhanced enforcement at the border.
On the contrary, an analysis indicated that nearly 50 per cent of Hispanic Americans hold a negative perception of Trump.
Trump also promised to do away with birthright citizenship, a right around for 125 years, while his administration could now end temporary programs for more than 1 million migrants, including those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
These policies can bring key industries like housing and agriculture in the battleground states to their knees. Jorge Franco, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, had said that the absence of more than 75,000 immigrants working on dairy and agriculture in the state would seriously affect the economy.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Florida Republican pushing for a path to citizenship for longtime residents, called for mass deportations amid surges in border crossings since President Joe Biden took office.
She added that she hopes Trump will have the ability to differentiate between new arrivals and longtime residents, particularly on the question of labour.
The Democrats said Trump’s threats are energizing Latino voters. María Teresa Kumar, the president and chief executive of Voto Latino, said the threat of mass deportation had been a wake-up call to so many.
Since Kamala Harris emerged as a leading candidate, Voto Latino has registered nearly 36,000 voters, nearly matching its total for the first half of the year.
In southern Texas, Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said people want better border control but also have family or friends swept up in immigration issues.
“There’s much more that could be done with regards to sound policy to control flows at the border,” he said. “But mass deportation just causes heartburn.
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