As President Donald Trump strides alongside Air Force Col. Angela F. Ochoa, he’s surrounded by the impressive spectacle of Joint Base Andrews, Md. Yet, the aura of firm leadership cannot conceal his hesitant stumble on the issue of mass deportations. It’s an issue where the previous Administration – Joe Biden’s, is seemingly outpacing him.
Setting the record straight, recent figures reveal that Trump saw 37,660 deportations during his fledgling month in office. This is eclipsed by the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns under Biden’s watch. These figures, pulled from a Reuters report, casts a rare ray of credibility on Joe Biden’s administration, albeit grudgingly.
As is often the case in such scenarios, Trump officials and pundits were found scrambling to justify the unimpressive figures. They point to anticipated deportation rises in the near future, as if high deportation numbers are a badge of honor. They are lying in wait for Trump to unveil new strategies to heighten arrests and expulsions, a concept hardly worth the celebration.
According to them, Trump is preparing to deliver on his promise of initiating the largest ever deportation operation in U.S. history. Yet, the hard fact remains that the initial numbers unveiled do little to support this grand claim. Instead, they highlight an unwelcome comparison with the Biden administration’s final year. A time, they would have you believe, when illegal crossings were abundant, hence facilitating an increased rate of deportations.
Eager to appear proactive during his first week in office, Trump dutifully signed 10 immigration-focused executive orders. He issued a flurry of directives to realize promises of mass deportations, an approach more evocative of a ruler enforcing his tyranny than a President leading a democracy.
The effects of some of these executive orders were immediate, while others are tangled in the web of legal complications. Certain directives might even languish in the realm of unfulfilled promises. However, their looming presence has ignited the flames of fear in the hearts of immigrant communities.
Looking closer, we see that much of Trump’s game plan boils down to the old-fashioned tool of power: money. In the near future, Congress is set to deliberate on additional support. The odds are high that Trump will resort to using emergency powers to tap the Defense Department, a tactic as unorthodox and divisive as his border wall proposal during his first term.
Over time, the Trump administration also touted the involvement of other agencies in ICE operations, a departure from Biden. It’s a veritable sea change, but whether it’s progressive is highly debatable. These agencies include the likes of the Justice Department’s FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, entities renowned for their service to the American public.
On the Department of Homeland Security’s front, there has also been a marked change. The Customs and Border Protection, including the Border Patrol, are being pulled into the fray. However, there is a lingering question about the efficacy and appropriateness of diverting resources from these highly specialized agencies for the purpose of expediting deportations.
While the Trump administration spins the narrative of bolstered security, the underlying truth points to a chaotic and troubling state of affairs. The tactics employed carry an air of desperation, not a methodical strategy in safeguarding the nation’s security interests.
In stark contrast, Biden’s administration appears more levelheaded in its handling of deportations, even though this perspective belittles the complex and humane nature of the issue. However, the critical comparison lies not in the number of deportations, but in the approach and the respect for human dignity.
Making a mockery of one’s responsibility doesn’t come without cost. It undermines the foundation of what true leadership stands for, which should ideally consist of empathy, fairness, and moral courage. The Trump administration would do well to reconsider its path, striving for enlightened immigration policies that respect human dignity over grandstanding gestures.