By Cooper Smith
“Mass deportation” was a rarely used phrase in the American political lexicon until President Trump promised that such an operation would be a key pillar of his second term. The idea of deporting millions of illegal aliens is both novel and historic – while at the same time an operational, communications, and financial challenge. Undoubtedly, the Biden administration’s willful and egregious open borders policies wreaked havoc on our nation and people. A historic failure demands an equally historic response.
Without adequate funding to massively scale our nation’s deportation pipeline coupled with continued support from the American public, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will struggle to meet President Trump’s goals – and the American people’s demands.
After the President’s first 100 days, the America First Policy Institute commissioned a nationwide poll on mass deportation, asking the American people whether they support the deportation of all illegal aliens regardless of their criminal history. The results were astonishing:
51% of Americans support deporting all illegal aliens regardless of their criminal past.
Earning and retaining the American peoples’ support for the mass deportation operation is equally critical to financing, organizing, and implementing the plan. The American people are firmly with President Trump and his homeland security team, even after 100-plus days of media frenzies, smears, and outright lies. Their strategy of publicizing high-profile threats, identifying and shaming sanctuary cities, and calling out America-last politicians has been a homerun. These communications strategies must continue to be rolled out to keep the support and trust of the American people on this highly contentious issue.
The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” passed recently by the House of Representatives, and currently being hotly debated in the Senate, contains numerous provisions that will supercharge the deportation operation and assist the President in delivering on his promise. In particular, increased detention capacity, removal officers, and state and local cooperation will undoubtedly save human lives, prevent human trafficking, and thwart dangerous cartel activity that has taken root. These provisions deserve the support of the Senate and the American people who elect them.
Detention capacity is critical to a deportation operation – and the United States has run out. Currently, funding allocates roughly 42,000 beds to detain illegal migrants before law enforcement can organize their removal. As of today, ICE is over that capacity by 7,000 people. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” proposes funding for approximately 100,000 new beds, and that is a great start. Without space to house these illegal aliens, law enforcement will simply not be able to remove them. Wisely, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that they are also actively working to revise onerous detention standards that exacerbate the cost of detaining a migrant. A rapid deployment of detention space, bolstered by increased funding and revised detention standards, are necessary steps to achieve the president’s goal.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division serves as the core law enforcement professionals that investigate, target, and arrest illegal aliens prior to removal proceedings. Today, ERO has just 6,100 officers charged with this mission, and they are working overtime to achieve their expanded goals from the Trump Administration. To put that in perspective, that is approximately one agent for every three thousand illegal aliens. That is an unwinnable fight for ERO with their current workforce. Bolstering the ERO workforce – through recruitment, retention, and rehiring – will provide DHS with the law enforcement personnel necessary to carry out their mission. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” provides funding for up to 10,000 new officers, along with immigration judges, support staff, and ICE attorneys to manage and prosecute these cases. This surge of personnel will bring caseloads to manageable levels, increase morale, and position DHS for success for years to come.
The final requirement for a successful mass deportation is enlisting state and local law enforcement personnel to serve as force multipliers in the field. Local knowledge of criminal and drug activity, along with the cooperation of state and local prisons who often detain illegal aliens, strengthens and improves ICE’s ability to target the illegal alien population. 287(g) agreements, which purposefully remained largely dormant under President Biden, have surged under President Trump. These agreements deputize state and local law enforcement to conduct immigration officer actions under ICE’s direction and leadership and are a key tool for DHS to remove criminal aliens – but they don’t come without a cost. The One Big, Beautiful Bill provides more funding for these agreements, which require proper resourcing and attention.
When President Trump signs the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” it will send a clear signal to the American people: their voices are being heard, their safety is a priority, and he keeps his promises. By expanding detention capacity, strengthening our enforcement workforce, and empowering local law enforcement through proven partnerships like 287(g), we are laying the groundwork for a robust and sustainable mass deportation program. Americans deserve safety and security from their government, and this bill brings us one step closer to delivering exactly that.
Cooper Smith serves as Director of Communications and Senior Advisor for Homeland Security and Immigration Policy at the America First Policy Institute.