From the beginning of his term, Trump placed immigration at the center of his political agenda, fulfilling campaign promises with a restrictive, nationalist, and “law and order” approach.
On his first day in office, January 20, 2025, the president declared a migration emergency at the border with Mexico to end what he called the “invasion” of migrants, reactivated the construction of the border wall, and launched a legal debate to deny birthright citizenship to people without legal status.
Although the wall did not fully materialize during the first year, the political message was clear: irregular migration would be treated as a threat to national security. Almost immediately, migrant arrivals at the border from Mexico fell to historic lows, in stark contrast to the situation during the Biden era.
Domestically, the administration intensified deportations, expanding the categories of immigrants considered priorities for removal.
Unlike previous administrations, which focused efforts on individuals with serious criminal records, Trump de facto eliminated many of these limitations, increasing fear in migrant communities, even among those who had been residing in the country for years.
Authorities boasted a record number of arrests, deportations, and the cancellation of more than 100,000 visas, as well as the indefinite suspension of visa processing for immigrants from 75 countries. “The truth is, I don’t see anything good about immigration this first year,” says immigration lawyer Vanessa Frank. “We need to reform immigration laws… this immigration system we have no longer reflects the country or the economy we have, and we should have reformed the laws through Congress.”
Polls show that, although immigration was a key issue for voters in 2024, most voters believe that President Donald Trump’s administration went too far with its immigration policies in its first year.
A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows that more than half of American adults believe that the deportations of undocumented immigrants have gone too far, while only 28% consider them insufficient.
Following immigration operations and raids in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, more than half of those surveyed say that the use of ICE agents has been excessive, compared to 24% who believe that not enough has been done.
For migrant advocacy organizations, Trump’s first year on immigration was characterized by a harsh, politicized, and divisive approach.
Beyond the concrete results, its impact was profound on public discourse, on the daily lives of millions of migrants, and on the redefinition of immigration policy as one of the main ideological battlegrounds in the United States.
