Many people facing deportation have deep ties to their communities and family members in the United States. They may own homes, work, and have children who are U.S. citizens, and have lived in their neighborhoods or towns for decades. The emotional and psychological trauma resulting from their removal from their lives would have ripple effects throughout the nation, creating an environment of fear and instability for all Americans.
The costs of carrying out mass deportations would be enormous. Such an operation, even for a short period of time, could require huge and sustained investment in immigration court and detention facilities and would disrupt the fabric of communities nationwide. Moreover, the widespread and systematic racial and ethnic profiling that would occur in the course of these operations would be devastating to families, particularly those with mixed-status households, which are now the norm in America.
ICE’s policies indicate that the priority is to detain and remove individuals who pose a threat to public safety, have criminal records or are recent migrants from the border. However, the vast majority of deportation cases involve people who do not fit this profile and do not have a criminal record. During mass deportation operations, the average length of stay in detention would likely increase dramatically.
In addition, local law enforcement would be tasked with massively ramping up immigration enforcement activities, a requirement that diverts police resources from community threats and crime prevention, potentially endangering the safety of everyone in their communities. The federal military and National Guard also would be required to assist in these efforts, requiring substantial resources away from disaster response and other traditional roles.
The economic cost of mass deportation would be massive, resulting in billions of dollars in lost federal, state and local tax revenues as well as trillions of dollars in loss of economic output. In addition, millions of workers who currently are undocumented or have limited legal status would be removed from essential industries that rely on their labor to support American households. These include construction trades like plasterers, roofers and painters; agriculture industries such as harvesters and graders; hospitality jobs such as cleaners; and more.
A massive expansion of deportation operations also would result in enormous administrative costs for the government, including those who would be erroneously removed or otherwise denied a chance to pursue relief in immigration court. For instance, a person who is eligible to seek relief such as cancellation of removal based on their involvement in a gang or as a witness to a crime or victim of trafficking will be precluded from doing so while in expedited removal proceedings.
An experienced immigration attorney is your best ally in avoiding deportation and pursuing the available forms of relief. Your lawyer can help you explore your options, gather evidence, and present a strong case in court to prevent the deportation of you or your loved one. The sooner you seek legal help, the more options and stronger defenses your lawyer can construct for you.