Donald Trump’s deportation agenda has kicked off with a force that’s reshaped the immigration landscape in just months.
The Daily Mail reported that since taking office in January 2025, Trump has launched an ambitious policy targeting the removal of two million unauthorized migrants by year’s end, with nearly half a million already deported and over 1.6 million opting to self-deport amidst historic lows in border crossings.
Let’s rewind to the starting line: Trump hit the ground running on day one, promising a hardline stance on immigration enforcement. Federal agents, including ICE, have arrested 457,000 unauthorized migrants since January. That’s a number that speaks volumes about the administration’s determination to follow through.
Meanwhile, border apprehensions have plummeted to a 55-year low, with just 238,000 migrants caught attempting illegal entry during the 2025 fiscal year.
Compare that to the staggering 2.2 million taken in at the border during the peak crisis of 2022 under the previous administration, and the contrast couldn’t be sharper.
Even in the final year of President Joe Biden’s term, removals were at 271,000—a jump from 142,000 the year before—but over 60 percent of apprehensions at the Mexican border happened in his last three months. It’s almost as if the writing was on the wall, and the tide was already turning.
Now, Trump’s team isn’t shy about taking credit. “President Trump has overwhelmingly delivered on his promise to secure our Southern Border,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson declared. Well, the numbers don’t lie, but let’s not pretend the road ahead is all smooth sailing.
Enter the legal quagmire: Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to cities like Chicago has sparked fierce opposition. A lawsuit in the Windy City calls the move “unlawful and dangerous,” arguing that Americans shouldn’t face military presence over political spats.
It’s a fair concern, but crime and non-cooperation with federal immigration laws in these cities aren’t exactly minor issues either.
Judge April Perry in Chicago set a tight deadline for the federal government’s response, with a hearing slated for Thursday, while declining to block the deployment of up to 200 Texas National Guard troops.
Those troops arrived overnight via military aircraft, ready to start operations. It’s a bold move, and Trump’s justification—fighting crime and enforcing immigration laws—has some merit, even if the optics are divisive.
Contrast that with Portland, Oregon, where a federal judge temporarily halted a similar National Guard deployment. Both cities have seen surges of federal agents as part of this deportation push, and protests are erupting outside immigration facilities.
In Chicago’s Brighton Park, chants rang out after a Border Patrol shooting incident on the Southwest Side, showing just how tense things are getting.
Trump isn’t backing down, even hinting at using emergency powers under the Insurrection Act if resistance persists. “We have an Insurrection Act for a reason. If I had to enact it, I would do that,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Look, the man’s argument is straightforward: if courts, governors, or mayors stand in the way while chaos unfolds, he’s ready to act. But waving the Insurrection Act like a warning flag might alienate more than it unites. It’s a gamble, and public opinion could swing hard either way.
Back to the ground game—self-deportations are a huge piece of this puzzle, with 1.6 million migrants choosing to leave since January.
It’s a sign that the message of strict enforcement is resonating, whether through fear or pragmatism. But let’s not ignore the human cost; uprooting lives isn’t a small matter, even if the policy aims to prioritize national security.
Protests in cities like Chicago underscore the raw emotion tied to these policies. The shooting incident involving Border Patrol only adds fuel to the fire, with communities feeling caught between federal overreach and local struggles. Empathy isn’t weakness—understanding why people are angry doesn’t mean endorsing every critique.
Still, the administration sees this as a win for law and order, not a loss of goodwill. With nearly 493,000 deportations already under their belt in less than a year, they’re framing this as proof that a firm hand works. Critics might call it heavy-handed, but supporters see it as long-overdue accountability.