Trump Win Opens Door to Major Shift in US Immigration Policies

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election has placed him in a position to enact his campaign promises on immigration policy, including plans for mass deportation and new efforts to stop migrants from entering the United States.

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The promise of mass deportations was a cornerstone of Trump’s campaign and could be a focus for his administration. His stated goal is to remove the estimated 12 million people in the United States illegally, many of whom who were able to enter under the policies of the Biden administration.

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Trump’s election will almost certainly result in the reversal of Biden administration policies that are more lenient toward those who cross the border illegally, some of which are part of court fights.

One such program is the “Keeping Families Together” initiative, which allowed certain immigrants who are spouses of U.S. citizens new opportunities to remain and work in the United States.

Another is the Obama-era program granting deferred action on removal to immigrants without legal status who entered the United States at a young age, also known as Dreamers. Trump in his first term sought to undo the program.

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The expanded opportunities seen under the Biden administration for Temporary Protected Status, which is parole for migrants coming en masse from turmoil in other countries, may also see a radical change. {snip}

Another group with Temporary Protected Status are Haitian migrants, whom Trump had claimed were eating the pets of people in Springfield, Ohio. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance said during the campaign that those migrants were “granted legal status at the wave of a Kamala Harris open border wand” and he would still refer to them as illegal aliens.

Trump has also pledged to increase pressure on municipalities known as “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in removal of illegal aliens found under their jurisdiction. The new administration and Congress could seek to eliminate federal funding for municipalities with such policies in place.

The new Trump administration could also enact changes to lawful means of immigration, including H-1B visas, which enables migrants to come into the United States as guest workers.

Charles Kuck, an Atlanta, Ga.-based immigration lawyer, said in a post on X on Wednesday morning that potential changes could include a “lottery based on salary, increased filing fees, and increased enforcement against job shops.”

“Look for higher visa denial rates and longer processing times,” Kuck said. “And count on no immigration reform, including no increase in numbers, no changes to per country limits, and even a possible shrinking of legal immigration.”

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