Trump eyes record-breaking mass deportation push

The Trump administration is developing a sweeping strategy for what could become the most extensive mass deportation operation in US history, aiming to remove up to 1 million migrants annually.

While the plan marks an unprecedented effort, it faces significant legal, logistical, and financial challenges that may hamper its implementation, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to four current and former federal officials familiar with the plan, White House adviser Stephen Miller is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies to execute the mass deportation initiative.

The plan involves removing some of the 1.4 million individuals who have already received final deportation orders but remain in the country, often because their home countries have refused to accept them. To bolster the effort, the administration is also negotiating agreements with nearly 30 “third countries” that could accept migrants who are not their citizens. In a recent court filing, the government confirmed its intention to deport “thousands” to such nations. 

While past administrations have pursued limited third-country deportations, the current effort is considered the most expansive in scope. So far, deportations under these negotiations have included transfers to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and even Rwanda, following extended discussions with human rights organizations. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated that the administration was acting on a voter mandate to reverse former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. 

He added that the administration is aligned on delivering on this mandate, not on arbitrary goals, with a full-of-government approach to ensure the efficient mass deportation of terrorist and criminal illegal aliens. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to deport “millions” of immigrants, while Vice President J.D. Vance suggested starting with 1 million. 

However, most of the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US are legally entitled to due process before deportation—a factor that complicates enforcement, especially amid the backlog in the immigration court system. To highlight its aggressive approach, the administration has begun transferring detainees to foreign prisons, including facilities in El Salvador and the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nonetheless, these actions impact only a small fraction of the total undocumented population. Former officials warn that legal barriers, limited funding, and low morale among immigration enforcement officers could hinder broader execution of the plan. 

Experts have voiced skepticism about the plan’s feasibility. Resource constraints, staffing shortages, and legal requirements—especially the right to court hearings—pose significant obstacles to expedited removals. Even among the 1.4 million with final deportation orders, many remain difficult to locate. A coordinated interagency effort—including the FBI, DEA, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—is underway to track down these individuals. 

The administration has asked Congress for increased funding to support expanded immigration enforcement. However, even with legislative approval, the initiative would require time to recruit and train personnel, open new detention centers, and arrange mass deportation flights. Transparency around deportation figures has also become an issue. 

The Trump administration has ceased publishing detailed data from the DHS Statistics Division, leaving public information sparse. Instead, numbers are provided by political appointees and lack comprehensive breakdowns. According to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, over 100,000 individuals had been deported by the end of March, a figure that includes both border apprehensions and internal arrests. An additional 17,000 deportations were later added to the tally.

By Naila Huseynova