New Policies Revamp Immigration Detention and Reporting Apps
In a move that marks a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, the Trump administration has reinstated immigration detention centers specifically for families, a practice previously ended by former President Joe Biden. The administration has also reconfigured the CBP One app, originally designed to facilitate asylum processes, into CBP Home, which now encourages undocumented immigrants to self-report their deportation plans.
This strategic pivot is part of a broader deportation initiative, which experts fear will have far-reaching impacts on both American communities and the economy at large.
Economic Concerns Arise from Policy Changes
Immigrants are integral to various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and construction. According to Michael Ettlinger, a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the uncertainty surrounding mass deportations could influence consumer spending habits. He posed the question, “If I’m a homeowner, am I gonna make a down payment on a kitchen remodel if the contractor may lose their work authorization and be removed from the country?”
Ettlinger also warned that the absence of immigrant workers might lead to reduced wages and job opportunities for non-immigrant workers, as businesses may opt to downsize amidst the instability. He noted that past deportation drives have paradoxically led to job losses for native-born workers.
“Employers can’t find U.S.-born replacements for the deported immigrants, for the kinds of jobs they do, so they downsize their business as a whole, that means layoffs or lower pay for their non-immigrant employees,” Ettlinger explained.
