Trump’s Immigration Policy: A Double-Edged Sword?

Rewind to the summer of 2018 when President Trump, amidst a huddle of zealous journalists, proclaimed his plans to enforce an executive order with the aim of maintaining family unity within migrant detention facilities. Such a decision wasn’t taken lightly, as media outlets, under the influence of the Resistance Democrats, rallied a storm of concern over the visual ordeal of ‘children hemmed within enclosures’. State representatives were quick to disassociate themselves from the administration. On implementing the order, President Trump anticipated satisfaction amongst many individuals.

Yet, as of now, the narrative has taken an unsuspected turn. As per information from the New York Times, it appears that President Trump has discretely reinstated his first-term policy of separating families, referring to multiple instances where migrant parents were disjoined from their children for their opposition to comply with deportation mandates. Despite this, it cannot be denied that the Trump Administration has evolved enormously, with regard to delivering on its immigration promises, in the last seven years.

Indeed, it almost seems passe to reignite debate over the controversy of family separations, especially when the federal agencies are presently disclosing footage of undocumented immigrants enchained together. President Trump’s election promise of executing large-scale deportations isn’t just a rhetoric any longer, as unlike during his first tenure, he possesses the capacity to actualize his commitments.

The challenge, however, presents itself in the form of public uncertainty, as citizens possibly seem less enthusiastic. In 2024, the majority of the American populace (55 per cent) expressed their desire for a reduction in immigration. However, recent opinion polls by Gallup reveal a considerable plunge in this figure to 30 per cent.

It seems like Trump may be a victim of his own success in matters concerning immigration. The southern border saw a mere 6,000 apprehensions in the entirety of June – a figure that just a year ago reflected the daily rate. With the border issue essentially resolved, and the subsequent public outrage mitigated, the question of illegal settlements appears to have lost its urgency.

But this downswing in passion could create complications, given the magnitude of tasks the president still has to fulfill. This shift towards relative indifference may present itself as a window of opportunity for certain Democrats and their ‘Republican in name only’ allies.

Anecdotes are rife about the potential aftermath on the service and farming sectors due to mass deportations, sparking worries of an inflation spike which could result in an electoral backlash. The far left are resisting even more fervidly. There’s a reported instance where someone was suggested to resort to ‘shooting oneself’ in defiance against Trump’s deportation drives.

Last month, there was an incident of attack on Border Patrol agents. Demonstrations in Los Angeles, marked by masked assailants brandishing Mexican flags and assaulting law enforcers, indicate that the ‘sanctuary cities’ in blue states aren’t willing to surrender without a fight.

Trump’s accomplishment on immigration may be a tough pill to swallow for some, especially considering the fact that he pledged to deport a million people in his inaugural year, yet currently, he is expected to achieve not even one-third of that figure.

But the task of mass deportations was inevitably going to be more complex than simply mobilizing officers to patrol the Mexican border. Trump’s execution in his second term shows that he does not shy away from advocating for problematic (and occasionally unpopular) policies, a clear example being his imposition of tariffs.

Trump has shown agility in responding where necessary, but he understands that administration solely by public sentiment paves the path for feeble and ineffectual leadership.

It’s perhaps time for the administration to publicly reaffirm why they remain so steadfast on the issue of immigration: this is more than just law enforcement, it’s about shaping the future of the American nation.