Donald Trump Promised the Largest Deportation Operation in U.S. History

Donald Trump, seeking to return to the U.S. presidency, pledges to carry out the largest deportation of undocumented immigrants in the nation’s history if re-elected.

Trump signs a series of executive orders aimed at sharply restricting immigration. He declares a state of emergency at the Mexican border, resumes construction of the border wall, and issues an order revoking birthright citizenship—a move immediately blocked by federal courts as unconstitutional. The CBP One app, previously used by asylum seekers to schedule interviews, is shut down on the day of his inauguration. More than 30,000 appointments are canceled. Later, the same app is repurposed as a tool for voluntary deportation, helping migrants register for departure from the country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) begins detaining undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities across the country, including New York, Boston, Seattle, and Miami. A total of 538 people are taken into custody in a single day—double the usual rate. Trump reinstates ICE’s authority to search for and detain immigrants in "sensitive" locations such as schools, hospitals, and churches.

The U.S. military, newly authorized by Trump to participate in deportations, sends two military planes carrying deported Colombian nationals. However, Colombian President Gustavo Petro refuses to accept them. In response, Trump threatens to impose 50% tariffs on Colombian imports. Under pressure, Petro relents and pledges to send a presidential aircraft to retrieve the deportees—saying it is to ensure they are "returned with dignity."

Trump orders preparations to use the Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba to house thousands of undocumented immigrants whom his administration labels "criminals." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Guantánamo the "ideal location" for such operations. The base does have an immigration processing center—but it is also home to the infamous prison where terrorism suspects were held and tortured after 9/11. For two decades, successive U.S. presidents have vowed to close the facility—only to back away each time.

The U.S. president imposes 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, tying their removal to efforts to curb illegal immigration into the United States. Within two days, both countries agree to delay the tariffs after promising to allocate additional resources and funding to reinforce their borders with the U.S. But the reprieve proves temporary—the tariffs are ultimately enacted in March.

A 10-year-old girl with a rare form of brain tumor, en route from Mexico to the U.S. for treatment, is stopped at the border because her parents lack legal status. Although the girl and her siblings are U.S. citizens, her medication is confiscated, and the entire family is placed in a detention facility before being deported back to Mexico. This case is not isolated: the tightening of immigration policy is affecting not only undocumented individuals, but also U.S. citizens connected to them, as well as foreign nationals with valid visas—many of whom are increasingly being detained without explanation.

Russian scientist Kseniya Petrova is detained at Boston Airport after undeclared frog embryo samples are found in her luggage. According to her lawyer, such violations typically result in an administrative fine, yet Petrova’s visa is revoked. She claims that deportation would put her at risk in Russia, as she has publicly spoken out against the war in Ukraine. A final decision in her case is still pending.

Trump proposes a new program offering so-called "Golden Cards" featuring his own portrait—each priced at five million dollars. Holders of such cards would be eligible for U.S. residency and, eventually, citizenship. The program has not yet been launched, and no official sales have begun.

Shortly after a dispute between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States erupted in the Oval Office, Reuters reported that the White House is planning to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who arrived in the U.S. after 2022. Donald Trump stated that a decision would be made "very soon," though the administration has yet to take final action.

For the first time, a foreign national has been detained in the U.S. for participating in pro-Palestinian student protests—30-year-old Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. One of the organizers of campus demonstrations, Khalil was born in Syria to Palestinian refugee parents, holds a green card, and is married to a U.S. citizen. Despite this, authorities declared him a threat to U.S. foreign policy and moved to deport him. A court has temporarily blocked the removal, but Khalil remains in custody. He was unable to attend the birth of his child due to his detention.

The U.S. deported over 200 migrants—mostly Venezuelan nationals—to El Salvador, accusing them of belonging to criminal gangs. To expedite the process, Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—a law used only three times in U.S. history and exclusively during wartime. A federal judge ordered the deportations be halted, but the government failed to comply.

"Oops... Too late," posted El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on social media platform X, after agreeing to accept the deportees in exchange for six million dollars. All were transferred to CECOT, the largest prison in Latin America.

During a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House, Donald Trump once again proposed sending not only foreign criminals but also U.S. citizens convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador. The statement sparked outrage among human rights advocates and journalists: the forced deportation of U.S. citizens violates the Constitution and directly contradicts existing laws, which guarantee Americans protection from expulsion.

One hundred days into Donald Trump’s second term, the Migration Policy Institute published an interim assessment. The immigration crackdown has become the most sweeping since the post–9/11 era. Trump has signed 181 directives related to immigration policy and is already facing at least 50 lawsuits.

According to the institute, arrests at the U.S.–Mexico border have dropped to historic lows—a result of aggressive border enforcement and pressure on neighboring countries. Within the U.S., however, immigration raids have intensified: arrests in cities and towns far from the border have doubled. Military units and intelligence agencies have been brought into deportation efforts. Yet despite the scale of the campaign, experts remain skeptical that the administration will meet its goal of one million deportations per year.

U.S. authorities announced the launch of a "self-deportation" program offering undocumented immigrants $1,000 and paid transportation in exchange for voluntarily leaving the country. For the administration, it’s a way to improve deportation statistics while reducing costs: even with the payout, voluntary removal is estimated to be 70% cheaper than standard detention and expulsion procedures.

Applications are submitted through the CBP Home app—an updated version of CBP One, previously used for asylum requests. In the first three weeks, around 9,000 people enrolled in the program.

The Washington Post reports that the White House offered Ukraine to take in an "unspecified number" of migrants deported from the United States. Ukraine was not the only conflict-affected country under consideration—South Sudan and Libya also appeared on the list.

Technically, U.S. law allows for the removal of foreign nationals to third countries—even without their consent—but such cases have been exceedingly rare. That may soon change, despite the clear risks such deportations pose to the safety and lives of those affected.

The U.S. has accepted its first group of Afrikaner refugees from South Africa. Donald Trump accused South African authorities of committing genocide against the white minority and ordered that Afrikaners be granted refugee status through an expedited process. Meanwhile, entry for refugees from other countries has been effectively frozen. The decision drew criticism from human rights groups, who denounced it as a selective use of immigration law and a politicization of humanitarian policy.

Media outlets report that U.S. authorities have suspended student visa interviews. Previously, the Trump administration had revoked the legal status of certain international students already in the country and effectively blocked access for foreign applicants to study at Harvard—the oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. These decisions were made selectively but collectively represent a sharp contraction of academic mobility and a major restriction on international students across all levels.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to "aggressively" revoke visas for students from China, citing the need to tighten controls over academic and technological leakage. Nearly 300,000 Chinese nationals study at U.S. universities—roughly a quarter of all international students, who collectively contribute over $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The threat, however, will remain unfulfilled: in early June, Washington and Beijing are set to sign a trade agreement, and Donald Trump publicly vows that Chinese students will not be affected—at least until the next policy review.

Donald Trump deploys National Guard units to Los Angeles following mass unrest sparked by immigration-related arrests. It marks the first time since 1965 that the Guard has been mobilized within a state without the governor’s consent. California authorities accuse the federal administration of violating state sovereignty and file a lawsuit against the White House, denouncing the intervention as unconstitutional overreach.

Citizens of 12 countries are now completely barred from entering the United States, while partial restrictions have been imposed on travelers from seven more. According to the Trump administration, the measures are "intended to protect against foreign terrorists." Media reports indicate that the White House considered adding Russia and Belarus to the list, but ultimately did not. The decision drew sharp criticism from human rights groups, who denounced the move as discriminatory and undermining the principle of case-by-case adjudication in visa policy.

It was revealed that Khaby Lame—the world’s most-followed TikToker, with 162 million subscribers—has been deported from the United States. Lame, an Italian citizen, was detained at Las Vegas airport; ICE stated that he had overstayed his visa. His immigration status, according to 18-year-old American Bo Loudon, became known after Loudon—who calls himself a Trump supporter—reported it to the authorities. The incident sparked widespread debate over the politicization of immigration enforcement and the selective application of the law.

Protests against immigration raids, which began in California, have rapidly spread across the country. Demonstrations are taking place in dozens of cities, including on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Hundreds of protesters have been detained. In downtown Los Angeles and in Spokane, Washington, local authorities imposed curfews in an attempt to contain escalating street clashes and unrest. Tensions continue to rise, and the scale of protests is now among the largest seen during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

On June 14—Donald Trump’s birthday and the day of a military parade in Washington—nationwide protests are planned under the slogan "No Kings." Organizers describe the actions as a response to what they see as attempts to expand presidential power and weaponize immigration policy for political gain. Large-scale demonstrations are expected in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major cities.