Sep 28, 2024 -
Politics & Policy
Axios Explains
How Trump's plan for mass deportations fits into U.S. history
Russell Contreras
Former President Donald Trump's call for historic "mass deportations" of immigrants from the United States is forcing the nation to revisit past expulsions that left deep wounds still felt today.
The big picture: From the Palmer Raids of Jewish and Italian immigrants of 1919 to the mass deportation of Mexican immigrants in the 1950s, previous deportation operations ignored civil liberties, heightened racial tensions and disrupted families of American citizens for generations.
Catch up quick: In campaign speeches, Trump has said he would launch "the largest deportation operation in American history" and end birthright citizenship as outlined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Trump wants to mobilize ICE agents — along with the FBI, federal prosecutors, the National Guard, and even local law enforcement officers — to carry out deportations.
He says he would start with mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants in Aurora, Colorado, and Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. As part of his call for deportations, Trump has pushed baseless claims that Haitian immigrants are eating house pets in Springfield, a debunked conspiracy theory that led to bomb threats in schools.
Reality check: To end birthright citizenship, the U.S. Constitution would have to be amended by three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification — an unlikely event.
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https://www.axios.com/2024/09/28/trump-mass-deportations-us-history