Operation Wetback.
Worked for Eisenhower.
Deported many thousands upon thousands.
All it takes is "the triumph of the will".... ;)
Operation Wetback deported at a maximum of 170K and mostly due to voluntary self deportation as many of the illegals had come to the States during WWII during the manufacturing boom when bodies were needed and 'illegal immigration' was more of a clerical checklist versus the criminal enterprise it is today.
We are now looking at 11 million plus (some estimates say up to 25 million but let's use the smaller number).
11 Million over 4 years (Trump says 2 but let's be a bit more reasonable and give him twice the time) equals approximately 7,500 deported per day, or 313 per hour, approximately a Boeing 777 taking off every hour on the hour, 24/7 for four years. But just transporting them isn't what happens. You have to catch them first. Every arrest and capture would require at a minimum of an officer per suspect. Each suspect would have to have a hearing (we have to ensure we are not illegally detaining and deporting a US citizen), processed and transported. As of July 2009, there were only 214 active immigration judges in the US. So, for the 313 transported each hour, each judge would have to be on duty 24/7 and hear at least two cases per hour without break. Right now, the immigration judicial system is on a major backlog and is able to hear just 1400 cases per year. (all of this assumes the flow is immediately stopped on day one and you are just dealing with those here now, no return rates). In other words, the courts would have to process in four hours what they currently do in a year.
What this all amounts to is the creation of a major judicial arm and police state that we haven't seen before, probably similar to the military build up for WWII, just in police and lawyers instead. That's assuming we don't have liberal bleeding heart attorney's fighting for every case in which case, it would be exponentially higher as the demands on the system would be greater.
Don't get me wrong, something has to be done, but to do it in the numbers and speed Trump promises isn't a case of good management, it is a case of creating a police state government this size of which we can't even fathom. A police state that I doubt, would ever give up its power even if it completes its mission.
As soon as one gets pen to paper on the numbers versus the promises, there are only a few conclusions one can draw from it:
1. Trump actually believes he can magically make this happen (like Obama causing the sea levels to drop and Bruce Jenner to become a woman)
2. He is knowingly lying just to attract voters
3. He has Stalinistic aspirations of power that he can make this happen all through decree and cares not about the long term impact on the size and scope of the government it creates, on the contrary, he would revel in the increased power it gives him.
Let's hope it is just #2 as #1 implies a level of insanity and #3 is quite frightening.
Is this what Conservatives really want?