Regarding the issue of deportation, The New York Times published an opinion piece titled 'Trump's Taste for Tyranny Finds a Target,' by Jamelle Bouie. In it Bouie wrote:

"Among the worst episodes in American history are those moments when the federal government deploys the full weight of its power against the most vulnerable people in the country: the Trail of Tears and the Fugitive Slave Act in the 19th century and Japanese internment in the middle of the 20th [century] (all implemented or enacted by Democrats). If he is granted a second term in the White House, Donald Trump hopes to add his own entry to this ignominious book of national shame."

According to Kelly Lytle Hernandez, deportation (what she calls immigration control) is both unconstitutional and racist: "immigration control is one of the least constitutional and most racist realms of governance in U.S. law and life."

Fiona Harrigan, in her Reason article 'Trump's Mass Deportation Plan Is Anti-American,' wrote, "...his most extreme proposal is to carry out 'the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. Trump's mass deportation plan isn't just anti-immigrant. It's anti-American."

None of the above authors ever addressed 'the root cause' (as our esteemed Vice-President is wont to say) of this entire issue – illegal immigration.

As reports Chris Matthews, 'the removal of one million immigrants would cost the federal government between $40 billion and $50 billion over 10 years (according to a Penn Wharton Budget Model -- yep, that's the same Penn that received a $54 million donation from China and the home of the UPenn Biden Center).' Trump estimates the deportation of 15 million to 20 million illegal immigrants, so taking his highest estimate and Matthews' highest estimate (which is certainly suspect), the total cost will be $1 trillion over ten years.

However, according to David Zimmermann in a National Review article, illegal immigrants cost the U.S. taxpayers $450 billion each year. A report by the House House Committee on Homeland Security reports that figure. Let's see, $450 billion times ten years is $4.5 trillion. Kinda puts Matthews' estimate in perspective, doesn't it?

As Miriam Jordan wrote in her New York Times article '8 Million People Are Working Illegally in the U.S. Here's Why That's Unlikely to Change,' "They make beds in inns across the country. They pick oranges in Florida, strawberries in California and vegetables in Ohio. And they have built new subdivisions in Phoenix, Atlanta and Charlotte. But the economy has grown to rely on them. Employers want cheap labor, benefit tremendously from illegal immigration. Companies that rely upon unskilled labor are primarily food processors, cleaning companies, and agriculture. They always want more laborers because more means less pay."

Remember when Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) chimed in, tried to justify illegal immigrants? Pelosi said, "We have a shortage of workers in our country, and you see even in Florida, some of the farmers and the growers saying: 'Why are you shipping these immigrants up north? We need them to pick the crops down here.'" She agreed that U.S. has a responsibility to secure the border, but didn't stop there. She said the U.S. should "recognize the importance of newcomers to our nation." She created a euphemism for illegal immigrants by referring to them as 'newcomers.' She, however, failed to refer to them as 'illegal newcomers.'

Not wanting to be outdone, Rep. Jared Nadler (D-NY), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee at a Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing, said, "We need immigrants in this country. Our vegetables would rot in the ground if they weren't being picked by many immigrants -- many illegal immigrants. The fact is the birth rate in this country is way below replacement level which means our population is going to start shrinking."

The U.S. receives a million legal immigrants per year, and the vast majority of them enter the labor market competing with Americans for jobs. Why would we want millions of illegal immigrants, most with no job skills? The Department of Labor has said for more than twenty years that America has an ample supply of unskilled labor.

What would occur if all illegal immigrants were deported? Dr. Steve Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, believes that wages would rise and motivate many chronically unemployed Americans to get back to work.

This situation is, in my opinion, the strongest argument for deportation of illegal immigrants. The District of Columbia approved the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act in 2022, which cleared the way for noncitizen residents to vote in local elections (see § 1-1001.02. 2(B)) starting in 2024. The House of Representatives passed HR192 that would nullify a law in Washington, D.C. which permitted noncitizens to vote in local elections by 262-143. Fifty-two Democrats joined a solid block of Republicans in passing HR192, which is not expected to be considered in the Senate or get President Biden's signature.

"Allowing noncitizens -- including illegal aliens and foreign agents -- to vote in elections dilutes the voting power of the citizen voter." said Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), the bill's sponsor. Voting against Pfluger's bill were 143 Democrats. In effect 143 Democrats voted to let noncitizens vote in a U.S. election.

Step One for the Democrats -- noncitizens voting in local elections in D.C. -- was blocked. But, as we well know, they never quit. New York City, San Francisco, and College Park, Maryland, now allow illegal immigrants to vote. More than a dozen California municipalities permit illegal immigrant voting.

Chairman of the House Administration Committee Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) said during a hearing, "American elections are for American citizens, and we intend to keep it that way." Democrats on the committee castigated their Republican colleagues for focusing on what they called a 'nonissue,' arguing it was a strategy for Donald Trump to challenge elections this fall. Is this Step Two, Democrats dismissing Republican arguments?

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), at a House Leadership Press Conference, discussed Democrats' ultimate goal. Johnson said, "Many leading Democrats here in Washington want illegal aliens in our country. Why? So they can become voters, and they can affect the outcome of the census in six years to affect reapportionment in Congress. Now, if you want example of that, look at the District of Columbia, that's what Leader Scalise was mentioning. The city council has decided they want noncitizens and foreign actors deciding who will serve as mayor and local attorney general here."

Bottom line: Trump is correct.

Image: DHS