The Trump administration’s self-deportation program has already motivated up to one million illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily, according to media reports.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal calculated that in President Trump’s first four months in office, the illegal alien population in the United States had dropped by 773,000.
At the same time, the Washington Post reported that “a million foreign-born workers have exited the workforce since March.”
While the Post framed this as “a sign of the weakening labor supply,” the paper also noted: “Average hourly wages accelerated, rising by 0.4 percent over the month, to $36.24 in May, as earnings continue to beat inflation in a boost to workers’ spending power.”
“In other words, with fewer illegal immigrants, businesses have had to raise wages to attract workers,” wrote the Center for Immigration Studies’ Andrew Arthur in the New York Post.
Border Czar Tom Homan estimated in April that there are “at least 20 million” illegal aliens in the United States, about 700,000 of whom are criminals.
Arthur notes that Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have been implementing a two-track plan to deport the millions of illegals currently residing in the United States.
One of those tracks relies on arrests and deportations of aliens unlawfully here, which at the outset has focused mainly on criminals (the “worst first” strategy).
The other track is more subtle but also cheaper for taxpayers and arguably much more effective —encouraging illegal migrants here to self-deport.
It began with an Inauguration Day Trump directive requiring DHS to ensure all aliens present in the United States — legal and otherwise — have registered with the federal government, and to prosecute those who don’t comply.
By late February, Noem had implemented that registration program.
DHS next launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign warning migrants not to enter illegally or, alternatively, to leave voluntarily now and possibly “have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American Dream.”
Noem also rebranded the notorious CBP One app — which the Biden administration used to funnel hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants into our country — as “CBP Home,” which aliens can use to “notify the U.S. Government of their intent to depart.”
That rebranding coincided with an offer of financial incentives for aliens who leave voluntarily, a stipend of $1,000. That’s in lieu of costly physical deportation, which can cost taxpayers $17,100 per person on average.
But aliens will only leave if they believe Trump and Homan are serious about arrests, and employers know the feds are targeting shady businesses.
While the Trump administration won’t be able to deport every person in the country unlawfully, its off to a pretty good head start, with hundreds of thousands apparently returning home on their own.
Despite the vocal disapproval of Democrats and their allies in the media, 54 percent of US adults support Trump’s deportation effort compared to 46 percent who disapprove of it, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey.
The poll was conducted just before anti-ICE riots ramped up in Los Angeles and President Trump had to send in the National Guard to restore order.