Investigating the deportation supply chain and its hidden costs
Asma Khalid, host:
President Trump has made deportation a top priority for his administration and has submitted promises he made on the campaign trail.
(Sound bites of archived recordings)
President Donald Trump: On the first day, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history.
Khalid: During this campaign speech, Trump opposed immigrants illegally coming to the United States, explaining he as a criminal and a gang member.
(Sound bites of archived recordings)
Trump: We will not be occupied. It won’t overrun. We will not be conquered.
Khalid: In March, the administration went further, summoning the alien enemy law for the first time since World War II. This time, we targeted suspects from the Tren de Aragua gang.
Unidentified Person: Why are we arrested?
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER #1: So look back.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER #2: Place your hands so I can see them.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER #1: Turn the direction. turn around. turn around.
Khalid: In the same month, federal immigration agents also began arresting people involved in pro-Palestinian activities on university campuses. One of them was Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and green cardholder. His wife, Noor Abdallah, filmed the arrest as an agent who handcuffed his name and refused to put him in an unmarked car.
(Sound bites of archived recordings)
Noor Abdallah: Yes, they just took him in handcuffs. I don’t know what to do (crying).
Khalid: Abdalla told NPR it took 38 hours to find out where her husband was sent.
(Sound bite of archived NPR broadcasts)
Abdallah: I think that’s probably the most frightening thing that’s ever happened to me.
Khalid: US deportation usually involves long and complicated processes. But as the Trump administration expands the number and scope of deportations, immigration rights advocates have raised concerns about the legitimate process and the right to first amendments. With Ximena Bustillo at NPR, we unpack the deportation process to understand that a little more and discuss what it actually looks like. She covers the network’s immigration policy. hey there.
Ximena Bustillo, byline: Hello, Asma.
Khalid: You’ve been reporting on immigration for the past few months, and summarizing this deportation process into several different steps will help us understand how a somewhat unstable process works. So, what did you find?
Bustillo: Identified this process up to five steps…
Khalid: I understand.
Bustillo: …I was identified as deportable, arrested, passed immigration court, and received a final removal and ultimate removal order. Keep in mind that the process is individualized for each case, who, what, when, where, how, and how.
Khalid: I understand.
Bustillo: Once it is identified (pH), it can be dragged for years or very fast.
Khalid: I got it. So let’s start with the first step you just mentioned. What does it mean to be identified as deportable?
Bustillo: Those at risk of arrest mainly include those without legal status. This is because they may have violated the terms of the Green Card, including illegally entering the country, overstaying work or student visas, or committing crimes. However, the government does not need to prove that you committed a crime to see you as removable. A good example of this may be that you do not have a job permission. There are about 8 million people in this country.
Khalid: Ximena, when someone is identified, how will the government find them?
Bustillo: Homeland Security Surveys are expensive and time-consuming. So they often rely on local law enforcement to report that they have arrested or identified someone who has no legal status. And there are also what is called “large” arrests. These are arrests made by ice in the field.
Khalid: OK, Ximena, from there you enter the court system. And I want you to understand how other courts in our American legal system differ from immigration courts.
Bustillo: First of all, they are not in the judicial division, like all the other courts in our legal system. They are housed in the executive branch under the Department of Justice. And while those arrested cannot get the rights of lawyers, they can ask them to find it. And they get the opportunity to defend them. During this setting, there are also lawyers on behalf of ICE who advocate in favour of removal. And this is where things get more complicated. Currently, the immigration court has filed around 4 million cases…
Khalid: Ah, amazing.
Bustillo: …and people are being arrested before the court can handle the case.
Khalid: But here’s the question, Ximena. So it seems that this court process you’re describing is something we’ve seen in some of the most prominent cases we’ve heard since President Trump took office.
Bustillo: That’s right. That’s what many immigration advocates are filing lawsuits. They say the court process was completely circumvented as people were placed on planes and taken to other countries.
Khalid: So, how do they do that? How can you actually avoid the process?
Bustillo: The Trump administration is trying to use very specific authorities that have access to to promote the removal of these. Some people are the use of alien enemy law, specifically allowing the administration to bypass the court process. There is also something called rapid removal.
Khalid: I understand. Okay, so let’s go back to the process you described. And I would like to ask you about the last two steps. Suppose you get a potentially final deletion command and then it is deleted. How does that actually happen? How does it work?
Bustillo: So, the main way people are removed is either quick removal, but I’ve explained this. It mainly happens at borders. At the border, people are basically reclaimed. Then there is a spontaneous return. This is when someone arranges their own trip. And there are involuntary things. However, sending many people back to their home countries has challenges. One reason is that their home country does not agree to accept them.
One thing I don’t specifically list is the steps in detention. Some people may be detained until they are arrested and placed on removal flights all the time until a court decision is granted. Some alternatives to detention include wearing ankle monitors and regular check-in with the government.
Khalid: I understand. So, Ximena, what you explained seems like an incredibly long process. This is probably the same with a rather expensive process. Still, that was something President Trump campaigned. He promised to bring about the largest deportation in American history. So, what about what he promised during the campaign he’s actually unfolding over the first few months?
Bustillo: We continue to focus on deportation and arrest. But there are still resource issues. Border Emperor Tom Homan was critical of Congress’s slow pace, particularly in providing more money to DHS and codifying Trump’s executive orders, as immigration policies emerge more from the White House instead of Congress.
Khalid: It’s okay. Well, thank you for the report.
Bustillo: Thank you.
Khalid: That’s Ximena Bustillo from NPR.
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