President-elect Donald Trump has promised a crackdown on illegal immigration and significant changes to immigration laws. Now his advisers will contend with long-existing headwinds to turn Trump's campaign rhetoric into policy.
Here are five major roadblocks the incoming administration will face:
Immigration-court backlog
Most immigrants in the U.S. illegally can't be deported without a hearing in immigration court, where they have a chance to ask for asylum or another avenue to stay in the country. But immigration courts are so backlogged that hearings are being scheduled as far into the future as 2029.
While immigrants wait for their hearings, they are given work permits, allowing them to find legal employment inside the U.S. Trump and his allies argue this process is an important factor attracting migrants to come to the U.S. to seek asylum—even if they don't win their court cases.
Outside experts estimate that Congress would have to hire about 5,000 immigration judges—the system now has roughly 500—to efficiently sort through all existing cases as well as new ones.
Barring a large infusion of cash to hire more judges, the Trump administration could shuffle around whose hearings happen first, giving priority to people from certain countries or those with criminal histories. They could make it tougher for immigrants to delay their final hearings, which judges sometimes allow in some cases, to give immigrants more time to find lawyers to represent them.
Without a change in the law, most of the migrants who entered the country illegally during President Biden's term won't be legally deportable for years.
Lack of ICE agents
This story is from the January 02, 2025 edition of Mint New Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 02, 2025 edition of Mint New Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hiring is just the first step towards inclusion
Persons with disabilities and those from marginalized groups need mentors and a supportive environment to grow in their careers
The perks of reflection and daily me-time
Introspection helps one think more clearly, says Spinny CEO Niraj Singh
It's your touch that will push an AI co-worker to do better
AI agents help break down silos and improve decision-making and collaboration, but it's people who can leverage their benefits
The 'Asian Aunty' is smashing ageist and gender stereotypes
'Aunty' leaders are tackling a widely normalized form of 'othering'
The Digital Data Protection Rules Have Hits and Misses
Some provisions can set a global example for age-gating but others would overburden data fiduciaries
Longevity Is Usually A Reward For Being Unspectacular
Careers That Endure Are Typically Not Spectacular. This Is So In Politics As Well As Other Fields
Get public-private partnerships right for target-oriented growth
The UK's new government should engage the private sector with deals that achieve public objectives
How this 27-year-old is rebuilding her finances after a French detour
Angane is leveraging dual income streams to repay her loan and regain financial control after health concerns
Ketan Parekh: Inside SEBI's 30-Month Probe
The investigation claims to have untangled a mesh of people and entities involved in a front-running scam
Inside Sebi's 30-month investigation
Though independent directors do not oversee a company's daily operations, Sebi has said that there is direct evidence of their involvement in the scam.
