The Administration Is Focused on Immigration

Different teams work on different things

Submitted by Dixiecrat

Recent tariff chatter created a new type of Trump critic. The critic that whines that Trump is not focused on immigration. It is as if Trump is in a cubicle multitasking. This is a team with many individuals. They are focused on immigration and getting results.

Since taking office for his second term in January and going back to the escalator in 2015, President Trump has made immigration enforcement the cornerstone of his agenda, with advisor Stephen Miller as a key architect. From border wall construction to mass deportation plans, their policies have sparked intense debate and excited immigration restrictionists. You know the false two side framing: these actions are celebrated by supporters as a necessary crackdown and criticized by open borders champions as harsh, mean and divisive. Trump and Miller are working to reduce immigration, seal the border, and deport undocumented immigrants, if you look at recent reporting.

To understand this moment, we need to start with the rhetoric. During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised what he called “the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history.” He expanded on 2016’s Build the Wall to include Mass Deportions Now. He’s described illegal immigration as an “invasion,” a term that sets the tone for his administration’s approach. At his side is Stephen Miller, now deputy chief of staff for policy, whose influence on immigration stretches back to Trump’s first term. Miller, known for his hardline stance, has been strategizing daily with the Department of Homeland Security to meet ambitious goals, including deporting one million immigrants annually.

First, notice that the border is less in the news because it is quiet. Trump has moved swiftly to tighten control at the U.S.-Mexico border, where migrant encounters have plummeted since he took office. The numbers show +90% drops. Fox News reports that apprehensions are at record lows compared to 2024 under President Biden, when single days saw 8,000 to 10,000 migrants detained. Those are monthly numbers now. Trump’s executive orders have played a big role here. Crushing USAid reduced the money the refugee racket enjoyed. Catholic Charities folded up shop on their refugee business. He’s resumed construction of the border wall, after Biden paused it. DHS recently waived environmental rules so that construction can be done faster. The state of Texas is building wall sections itself without federal impediments. He’s also deployed hundreds of troops to the border (the Roosevelt Reservation move is an escalation affecting three border states), declared a national emergency, and suspended temporary parole programs that allowed migrants from countries like Cuba and Haiti to enter legally. These moves, overseen by “border czar” Tom Homan, aim to deter crossings and signal a zero-tolerance stance.

But it’s not just about physical barriers, it is about procedures and policies. Trump has revived policies like “Remain in Mexico,” requiring asylum seekers to wait outside the U.S. while their cases are processed. Even The Atlantic notes that Miller’s strategy is to overwhelm opponents with a flurry of executive actions, ensuring some stick despite legal challenges. For example, Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship for children of noncitizens was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, but other measures, like suspending refugee admissions, have faced less resistance. Miller’s approach is “do everything all at once everywhere,” a tactic designed to reshape the immigration landscape before courts can catch up.

The new wrinkle is deportation. Trump has vowed to remove millions of illegal immigrants, prioritizing those with criminal records or suspected ties to gangs like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, recently designated a terrorist organization by the State Department. PBS News reports that since January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted over 350 deportation flights, so El Salvador has new prisoners to hold. ICE is now going into sanctuary cities and pulling men out, even if walking in or out of courthouses. The New York Post reported per administration sources over 100,000 deportations have happened, and that is with limited resources. This gap between millions and thousands has frustrated Trump, who’s pushed for faster removals, with Miller advocating for fines of up to $998 a day for migrants who don’t comply with deportation orders.

One ingenious tactic is the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law that allows the president to detain or deport noncitizens from countries deemed adversaries. Trump has used it to target gang members, particularly Venezuelans. The New York Times reports that the administration is also pressuring countries to accept deportees, applying economic and political leverage to overcome resistance from nations reluctant to take back their citizens.

A problem is the legal battle from the left to prevent any change to the status quo. Legal challenges have slowed Trump’s plans. Some federal judge in Boston with an immigrant background temporarily blocked the administration from revoking the legal status of 450,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who were granted parole under Biden. The judge argued that these migrants, who entered legally per government procedures, shouldn’t face expedited deportation without due process. Another judge barred deportations to third countries unless migrants have a chance to raise safety concerns. These rulings highlight a tension and the left’s strategy. Trump and Miller’s aggressive push often clashes with tenuous legal protections, creating a patchwork of enforcement.

Self-deportation is a big focus and so is the removal of comforts to stay here illegally. The New York Times describes how the administration’s decision to list migrants as “dead” in Social Security records aims to cut off their access to financial services, pressuring them to self-deport. Trump mentioned in an interview maybe giving illegals a stipend and plane ticket home. Add in the daily fines and the cost-benefit analysis is simple. Go home now or they will find you and not pay you.

Stephen Miller is the star here. He is verbally quick and very intelligent, which is a huge help for the Trump Team. Often described as the mastermind behind Trump’s immigration agenda or the neo-Roy Cohn, Miller has broader power this term than in 2017-2021. The media may note that his focus on immigration dates back to high school, but no one ever reports on what happened to his hometown in California. He has pushed for measures like requiring illegals to register with the government or face fines and deportation. Miller’s also behind the self-deportation feature on a Customs and Border Protection app, which will give real time numbers and GPS info for those who claim to do so. Use new tech to enforce the law!

Trump and Miller’s policies are reshaping industries and communities. We hope it reshapes the nation. Looking ahead, the road is uncertain. Courts will likely continue to check Trump’s ambitions, but the left must see the machinery moving and the courts ruling in Trump’s favor that they have to find a new issue to go hysterical over. Miller’s strategy of rapid-fire actions ensures some policies will stick, reshaping immigration for years to come.

Trump and Miller’s immigration push is a fulfillment of a mandate to secure the border. Complainers from the first term are desperate for anything and keep shifting goal posts. You can whine and cry or you can look at reality. The admin is laser focused on this. No other issue matters as much as who lives and works within a nation.