The new US presidential administration plans to launch a massive campaign of deportations of immigrants as early as Tuesday, January 21, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, citing four people familiar with the plans.
The first anti-immigrant raid is planned to be held in Chicago. The raid is expected to last all week. Trump's team says that they will first deport those illegal immigrants who have committed minor offenses, such as traffic violations. But the WSJ sources noted that in reality they will catch all illegal immigrants if they come across them.
It is noted that Chicago was chosen for the first raid not only because there are many illegal immigrants there, but also because the local authorities there are loyal to immigrants and, conversely, hostile to Trump.
New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Miami are also in the new administration's sights and could be the site of similar raids. Trump advisers have said they intend to punish "sanctuary" cities for migrants by cutting off billions of dollars in federal subsidies.
As the US population ages, the country's economy is becoming increasingly dependent on immigrant labor, especially in the food industry, construction and service sectors, the WSJ notes. Since the end of 2020, about 10 million people have migrated to the US, including those who came illegally. These workers have reduced labor shortages and helped accelerate economic growth.
Economists say large-scale deportations would be a shock to the economy, hitting key industries with labor shortages.