Few policy issues attracted more attention during the 2024 presidential election than immigration. The president-elect has spoken about plans to deport approximately 11 million immigrants, including using the military to accomplish this massive undertaking.

Sociologist Cecilia Menjívar studies the effects of immigration law and enforcement practices on immigrants’ lives.

Here, she tackles the question on many minds: “Will the second Trump administration swiftly and entirely deport as he promised?” Menjivar says:

“Logistically, removing 11 million individuals would require unprecedented bureaucratic reorganization, new facilities, the mobilization of a new cadre of civil servants, and an estimated $88 billion annually. Courts, already backlogged with over 2 million pending cases, can thwart these plans. Some state and local governments will oppose such actions, and some countries may refuse to accept deportations. Still, there is no question there will be thousands of (highly publicized) deportations, likely breaking new records, and extreme actions are expected, especially in the first 100 days.

“Regardless of how far or swiftly the new administration goes or which group is targeted first, one thing is certain: creating confusion, fear and anxiety is an integral part of the project.

“Immigrant rights organizations, lawyers, and a host of allied groups are alarmed and preparing — even as they are uncertain about what will come. Immigrants are prepared to respond too, as they did during the first Trump administration.

Menjívar has conducted ethnographic research in immigrant communities, specifically in Arizona and Nebraska, over the last three decades. Please feel free to reach out to interview Menjívar or one of our many other knowledgeable experts.