In a dramatic escalation of his immigration policy, former President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping expansion of mass deportations, directly targeting legal migrants and even suggesting the potential revocation of citizenship for some Americans.
A Reaction to Tragedy
The announcement was triggered by a shooting in Washington DC that resulted in the death of one National Guard troop and left another critically injured. The alleged perpetrator was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States following the fall of Kabul in 2021. Lakanwal had his asylum application granted in April of this year, after Trump had returned to the Oval Office.
Despite this, Trump placed blame squarely on his predecessor, Joe Biden, and the decision to evacuate thousands of Afghans during the Taliban takeover. In a late-night series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump confirmed that his retaliatory measures would extend far beyond those connected to the attack.
The "Reverse Migration" Plan
Trump declared that "only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation." In his social media outburst, he issued a stark warning to migrant communities, stating, "Other than that HAPPY THANGSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder and destroy everything that America stands for - you won't be here for long!"
His plan includes several radical proposals:
- A pause on migration from what he referred to as "third world countries."
- The removal of anyone not deemed a "net asset to the United States."
- The scrapping of all federal benefits for non-citizens.
- An expanded deportation effort targeting "any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilisation."
Critically, Trump confirmed that those holding green cards granting permanent residency would not be exempt from this purge. He further suggested that even US citizens could have their status revoked if they are seen to "undermine domestic tranquility."
Fact-Checking the Claims
Trump's lengthy statement contained numerous unsubstantiated claims. He asserted that "most" foreign-born US residents are on welfare or come from prisons and gangs. However, this is contradicted by data; a 2023 study found that immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans.
He also launched a vicious attack on Minnesota's Somali community, which had no connection to the DC shooting. He labelled Governor Tim Walz "seriously retarded" for allowing the community to "completely take over his state." This is demonstrably false. The approximately 80,000 Somali residents make up less than 1.5% of Minnesota's total population of 5.7 million.
Trump also targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with a series of personal and inaccurate attacks, questioning her legal entry into the country. In reality, Ilhan Omar came to the US with her family in 1995, legally claiming asylum when she was 14. She became a US citizen in 2000 at the age of 17.
This new policy announcement signals a profound and controversial hardening of US immigration policy, with implications for millions of legal residents and the very definition of American citizenship.
