Trump's plan to deport millions of immigrants would shock the U.S. economy, research shows

During the 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump promised to ramp up mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Since January 2025, ICE has begun the deportation of 600 to 1,100 immigrants daily, a dramatic rise from the previous administration. To facilitate these efforts, Trump seeks $175 billion from Congress for immigration enforcement over four years. However, mass deportations could harm the U.S. economy, especially in agriculture where a significant percentage of the workforce lacks legal status. Full-scale deportations will likely increase costs for American consumers and disrupt essential industries reliant on immigrant labor.

The deportation plan suggests that there will be an increase to detain and deport 600 to 1,100 immigrants daily, significantly higher than previous averages.

Depending on the proposed mass deportations, the Trump administration is setting targets that could lead to removing 300,000 immigrants each year.

Mass deportations could critically impact U.S. industries relying on immigrant labor, particularly agriculture, where about half of the workforce lacks legal authorization.

This plan poses significant costs not just for immigrants, but also for U.S. citizens and businesses facing potential food cost increases.

Read at Fast Company