Former President Donald Trump has reiterated his hardline stance on immigration, vowing to remove hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have arrived in the United States under two key programs established by the Biden administration if he is reelected. In an interview with Fox News, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s initiatives aimed at managing the flow of migrants and asylum seekers at the southern border, stating that he would swiftly deport over 1 million individuals who have entered the U.S. through these programs.
During his presidency, Trump had previously promised tough immigration policies but fell short of his deportation target, which never exceeded 350,000 individuals. The Biden administration introduced two main programs to address immigration challenges: one allows migrants to schedule asylum appointments at official U.S. border crossings through a smartphone app called CBP One, with over 800,000 migrants using this system since its launch in January 2023. The other program permits 30,000 individuals per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. through sponsorship, background checks, and plane ticket purchases, totaling around 530,000 admissions.
Migrants admitted under these programs receive humanitarian parole for two years, a measure intended to streamline border processes, dismantle smuggling networks, and enhance migrant screening. However, critics, particularly Republicans, argue that the programs circumvent congressional immigration laws and grant entry to ineligible individuals. Republican-led states have taken legal action to challenge these initiatives.
Trump, along with his immigration policy advisor Stephen Miller, is outlining detailed plans for mass deportations, including the potential use of wartime powers, collaboration with sympathetic governors, and involvement of the military in immigration enforcement if he secures a second term. Despite these proposals, executing large-scale deportations would likely face legal, practical, and financial obstacles. The future of U.S. immigration policy remains a contentious issue, with differing perspectives on how to address the complex challenges at the southern border.