The US administration’s strategy is to deport them to third countries, after most countries refused to accept their citizens who illegally infiltrated the US, according to US officials.
The Trump administration is pushing to deport more immigrants during the president’s first year in office, and one ambitious number continues to rise in private discussions, according to four current and former federal officials familiar with the plans: 1 million immigrants, according to the Washington Post.
Deporting 1 million immigrants in one year is expected to break previous records, as the highest number so far was 400,000 immigrants annually under Barack Obama.
But officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss domestic policy, said Trump officials are not disclosing how those numbers are calculated.
“Unrealistic Goal”
Analysts say available statistics make that goal seem unrealistic, if not impossible, given funding, staffing levels and the right of most immigrants to a court hearing before being removed from the country.
Two current and former officials told The Washington Post that White House counsel Stephen Miller is working almost daily with officials from the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to achieve that goal.
Officials said one strategy to quickly increase the numbers is to find ways to deport some of the 1.4 million immigrants who have final removal orders but cannot be deported because their home states refuse to accept them.
Two officials said the administration is in talks with about 30 countries to accept noncitizen deportees.
In a recent court filing, the administration said it hopes to send “thousands” of immigrants to these destinations, known as “third countries.”