Trump promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants — “rough people ... from jails, prisons, mental institutions” — and staged dramatic displays, such as showing chained prisoners in El Salvador, calling them the “worst of the worst.” Yet in court, where facts matter, government lawyers made no such claims.
ProPublica investigated and found that Homeland Security knew 130 deportees had no U.S. criminal record beyond immigration violations; 32 had mostly non-violent U.S. convictions (retail theft, traffic offenses); only 6 had violent convictions. Further investigation found that 20 had foreign records, 11 involving violence. None were listed in Venezuelan gang databases.
A hardline MAGA faction wants mass deportations — including all illegal and some legal immigrants — and sharp immigration cuts from “third world” countries. The administration’s actions—ending Afghan protected status, canceling student visas, racial profiling by ICE — reflect this agenda.
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Targeting day laborers shows how little the “millions of violent criminal illegals” claim holds up. “Deport violent criminals” is a broadly accepted idea — but what’s unfolding is far beyond that.
Barbara Hall
Midtown
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