Since his inauguration on January 20th, 2025, President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders regarding immigration, which have profoundly affected communities throughout the United States. Profiling immigration as a national security issue, Trump has issued these orders to remove undocumented immigrants and expedite mass deportations. However, the consequences of these legislative changes fracture into more complex issues, attacking not only immigrant communities but all communities of color across America.
To begin, a few of Trump’s orders since January 20th are listed below;
The “Remain in Mexico” policy prevents asylum seekers from remaining in the United States while their cases are being reviewed.
The “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” order allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement to arrest anyone suspected of entering the United States without approval. This order also allows for “expedited removal.” Immediate deportation will occur in these cases unless the individual can prove that they have been in the country for more than two years.
Approximately 1500 active-duty troops are to be deployed to the Mexico/United States border. This is in addition to the 2500 military personnel already stationed there.
The Department of Defense has disabled the CBP One app which allowed migrants to schedule appointments with US Border Patrol agents. This order involved the canceling of existing appointments and the abandonment of about 30,000 migrants in Mexico who were awaiting their appointments.
Immigration raids in previously protected areas such as schools, hospitals, and churches have been approved.
These are just a few of the legislative changes enacted by the Trump Administration since January 20th and the impacts are extensive. On Sunday, January 26th, ICE arrested 956 migrants, and approximately 1000 migrants were arrested on January 23rd, just a few days post-inauguration. These arrests have been largely discriminatory, with little regard for the individual’s situation. In many cases, the person was in the process of obtaining citizenship, renewing documents, or facilitating paperwork. These arrests have separated people from their homes, jobs, and families without providing them the ability to have their cases heard or to advocate for themselves.
“Illegal” or undocumented refers to a person’s legal status in the United States. Being undocumented encompasses a range of circumstances. Among these are crossing the border without inspection, expired documentation, being in the legalization process, etc. Trump’s public declaration of undocumented people as “illegal,” or “invaders” is incendiary rhetoric that is fueled by xenophobia, racism, and ethnocentrism.
The campaign’s legitimization of this discourse on formal government websites is deeply concerning. The White House website specifically states: “Executive Order that suspends the physical entry of aliens engaged in an invasion of the United States through the southern border.” Usage of the word “invaders” serves to create an “us vs. them” mentality which encourages people to view immigrants and migrants as threats to American life and scapegoats for the challenges facing American society.
Trump has also previously referred to immigrants and migrants as “bad, hard criminals.” This misconception about immigrants as criminals and contributing to crime rates is a common tool utilized to depict all immigrants as disruptive to American society. In reality, numerous studies have clarified with empirical evidence that immigration has no impact on crime rates and even contributes to a reduction in crime rates.
The fallacy that undocumented migrants and refugees harm the American economy has also been disproven. These communities provide a workforce for the farming and labor industries. Migrants also enrich the American economy, as it has been reported that they paid about $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022, thus bolstering federal and state economies.
Another significant executive order signed by Trump is the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This order states that “the entry of additional refugees would be ‘detrimental to the interests of the United States’” and indefinitely suspends the arrival of refugees. This is consequential, considering the high rate of refugee arrivals in the United States, especially in 2024, with the acceptance of more than 100,000 refugees.
This order specifically impacts the Syracuse community, which contains a large refugee population. One Syracuse organization, Interfaith Works, helps resettle refugees and immigrants from across the world with its Center for New Americans Program. This organization provides clients with resources such as English classes, medical case management, mental health services, cultural orientation, and citizenship classes.
The suspension of USRAP directly impacts Interfaith Works and hinders its ability to provide services to its existing clients and accept new ones. In a statement released by Beth Broadway, the CEO and president of Interfaith Works, she shares “The Executive Order is the first cut, and it is having its desired effect – the spreading of fear.” Her statement acknowledges the false narrative that refugees pose a threat to the United States and the impact it can have on communities.
So what are the implications of mass deportations and criminalization of immigrant communities? The effects are already being seen throughout the country: racial profiling, violent arrests, fear, and trauma inflicted on families and children. Mass deportations will also affect local economies and workforces. Trump’s campaign is built on political narratives and fear tactics that aim to falsely depict immigrants, migrants, and refugees as a threat to society. Despite evidence indicating that immigration rates do not correlate with crime rates and that immigration is associated with lower rates of crime, this rhetoric remains steadfast.
Protection of especially vulnerable communities is necessary through advocacy, education, and demanding fair and humane treatment for all people in the United States. As we navigate challenging legislative changes and executive orders, we must acknowledge these assaults on the liberties of populations who have historically built and bolstered our country.