Week 2: Walls, Raids, and Deportation Apps
Border and Immigration Policy in Trump’s First 100 Days
🗓️ Week 2: Walls, Raids, and Deportation Apps
Trump’s return to power in 2025 began with a familiar focus: the border. But this time, the policies came faster, with fewer checks, and broader legal reach. Within hours of inauguration, the machinery of mass enforcement was switched on, powered by executive orders, digital platforms, and reactivated legal doctrines from centuries past.
This post outlines the border and immigration policy changes across Trump’s first 100 days, in timeline form, with institutional impact clearly mapped.
🔹 TIMELINE OF POLICY MOVES
January 20, 2025
→ Executive Order 14159: “Protecting the American People Against Invasion”
Expanded use of expedited removal (bypassing court hearings)
Denied federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions
Introduced penalties for undocumented immigrants who fail to self-report
January 25
→ DHS reactivated 287(g) agreements with over 370 local law enforcement agencies
Empowered local police to enforce federal immigration laws
Joint ICE/sheriff raids began in Texas, Arizona, and Florida
February 3
→ Launch of the CBP Home app
Offered $1,000 and flight vouchers for undocumented immigrants who register and self-deport
12,000 applications submitted within 30 days
February 20
→ First deportations of legal U.S. residents to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act
DHS declined to provide case details
ACLU filed a federal suit
March 1
→ ICE reported 65,700 deportations since January
Daily deportation rate doubled compared to Jan–Mar 2024
Internal memos confirmed expedited removals of non-criminal cases
March 28
→ Leaked DHS memo proposed reopening decommissioned detention facilities
One proposal involved repurposing Alcatraz Island
🔹 INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Reorganised to prioritise field enforcement over internal review
Expanded field offices in border states
Whistleblower oversight function dissolved
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Surge hiring drive launched (20,000 positions)
Contractors approved to process self-deportation claims
Department of Justice (DOJ) – Office of Immigration Litigation
Case backlog surged due to legal challenges over due process
The Civil Rights Division deprioritised discrimination claims from migrant detainees
Federal Courts
17 lawsuits filed challenging the legality of:
Expedited removals
CBP Home app legality
Application of the Alien Enemies Act to legal residents
🔹 KEY TAKEAWAYS
Digital deportation became policy within two weeks of Trump’s return.
Legal residents—not just undocumented individuals—were targeted for removal.
Institutional safeguards were rolled back in parallel with enforcement surges.
Historic laws like the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 were revived without public debate.