IMMIGRATIONHere Are the U.S. Immigration Terms to Know
The U.S. immigration system is complex, consisting of various laws, policies, and programs. Here’s what to know about immigration under a second Trump administration.
During his first four years in office, President Donald Trump significantly reshaped asylum, border, and deportation policy. For his second term, he campaigned on sharply reducing both legal and illegal immigration, as well as implementing what he has described as “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” Immigration and border security were among voters’ top issues of concern.
Dozens of agencies, policies, and programs could be affected under a second Trump administration. CFR offers a guide to some of the most important to know.
Alien Enemies Act
This 1798 law allows the president to detain, relocate, or deport noncitizens who are considered an enemy of the United States during a time of war. The law is part of the four-part Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which together sought to restrict speech and immigration in the United States. Trump says he will use the act to bypass normal due process in his proposed deportations of members of criminal gangs and drug cartels.
Birthright Citizenship
Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1868, grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States. Trump has previously said that he will sign an executive order to ensure that “the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship,” though legal scholars say that would require changing the Constitution.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
CBP is the federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for enforcement at U.S. borders, as well as at and between official ports of entry, such as airports and seaports. Trump frames border enforcement as a national security priority. For his second term, he has called for adding some ten thousand border patrol agents and completing the border wall.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
President Barack Obama created DACA through an executive order in 2012, establishing a program that provides temporary deportation relief to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. Trump suspended DACA in 2017, calling it unconstitutional and arguing that Congress should legislate a more permanent solution.