Post by Wheeler Young. Colgate Class of 2021.

“Trump administration has expelled 10,000 migrants at the border during coronavirus outbreak, leaving less than 100 in CBP custody,” Washington Post, April 9, 2020.

According to the Washington Post, the Trump administration, under its broadened jurisdiction in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, has deported nearly ten thousand illegal immigrants since March 21. According to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the emergency public health circumstances have given CBP a greater ability to bypass immigration laws and send the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants back across the US-Mexico border. As a result of these moves, and of the threat of the virus itself, the number of detainees held in border stations has dropped from twenty thousand to less than a hundred in custody in twelve months. Under an agreement made with President Trump last month, the Mexican government has agreed to accept the rapid return of migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras at the border.

Since the significant increases in rapid expulsions took effect, migration levels have fallen to near-decade lows. According to acting CBP commissioner Mark Morgan, unlawful border crossings have dropped fifty-six percent, and the United States has, for the most part, closed its borders and legal ports of entry to asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution.

Critics of the Trump administration, which include Democrats in Congress, have accused the current administration of defying US immigration laws and exceeding the authority of the coronavirus public health emergency order. However, Morgan responded to these criticisms by citing the importance of public health, explaining that mitigation and containment measures were necessary for stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Additionally, President Trump himself praised the drastic measures, arguing that the courses of action are solutions to the US problem with illegal immigration.

It is no surprise that overall migration flows are decreasing, and the current stock of immigrants within the United States is likely to stagnate. First and foremost, people are less likely to migrate with the increased health shock of coronavirus. Additionally, global economic volatility creates uncertainty, which will facilitate higher unemployment, more poverty, and lower demand for labor in the destination country (United States). Lastly, as the article cites above, stricter policies will also deter potential migrants, especially those who come illegally, from immigrating. Each one of these factors increases the likelihood of higher migration costs.