Inside Trump's Mass Deportation & Immigration Plans
Plus, a look at why it is legal to lie in political ads
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Good morning,
The end of daylight saving time is coming up this Sunday. What does that mean? At 2 am on Sunday, clocks “fall back” an hour.
Pro: That means we are gaining an hour of sleep before the upcoming Election Week craziness.
Con: Get ready for the sun to be down on your commute home.
Plus, it can take the body up to a week or more to adjust to the change.
Sleep scientists recommend making gradual shifts to the earlier bed (and wake-up) time and avoiding naps. Parents should make sure kids get extra time outside ☀️ this weekend to ensure a good night’s sleep.
Benjamin Franklin said, “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We will add a third thing: complaining about daylight saving time shifts.
Have a relaxing weekend!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
📣 THE DISPATCH: NO OUTRAGE. JUST FACTS.
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📌 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MASS DEPORTATION AND IMMIGRATION IN A SECOND TERM
Like 2016, a major focus of this campaign for former President Donald Trump is securing the US-Mexico border. However, this time around, his pitch includes “the largest deportation in US history” with a goal of deporting one million people a year. His allies are also planning to target legal immigration, which Trump successfully limited in his first term.
By the numbers: The US government estimates that there are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the US, nearly 80% of whom have lived in the country for a decade+. However, there are alternate estimates that the number of undocumented immigrants could be as high as 17 million.
INSIDE THE PLAN
Trump says his administration would lean on a law from 1798 to execute one of his most controversial immigration agendas. The Alien Enemies Act, passed when John Adams was president, allows the US military to seize, detain, and deport immigrants on US soil in times of war. The law is most well-known for its use to intern Japanese Americans during World War II.
While Congress has to technically approve a declaration of war, the president has a lot of leeway to act— and Trump and allies believe this law would give them.
However, they have not been specific as to which agencies would be involved, if non-violent migrants who have been here for years would be targeted (they currently are not), if this would include Dreamers (residents who were brought to America by their parents as children), or what would happen to kids who were born here (and are citizens) even if their parents are not.
One of the reasons he is looking to the 1798 law is the backlog in the system, and the fact that it takes months or years to complete hearings and deportations. Immigration courts currently have a lack of judges and resources, and face a backlog of 3.7 million cases. NOTE: Any use of the 1798 law may face pushback from Congress and will also face lawsuits in the courts.
The cost: Estimates range from tens of billions to more than $100 billion to begin the rounding up and mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Then, there is the impact to the US economy of losing so many workers without quick replacements. A study by the American Immigration Council found that millions of construction, hospitality and low wage agriculture workers risk deportation and their absence could reduce the US GDP by more than $1 trillion.
Easier said than done: During Trump’s first four years, 325,660 people were deported while he was in office despite also campaigning on mass deportations.
More on Trump’s agenda:
Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration agenda and the former president’s adviser, plans to bring back first term policies. He is also preparing executive orders and memos for a future homeland security secretary to sign that would impact legal ways for immigrants to live and work in the US.
Trump Travel Ban: Refugee resettlement and other immigration was paused in seven majority-Muslim countries under the first Trump White House.
This term, Trump would likely bring those back, and he has said he would expand it to anyone from Gaza.
Back in 2017, Trump sought to cut legal immigration levels roughly in half and ended the system allowing US citizens to sponsor their parents and siblings for green cards.
What else is different from the first term? Democratic states and civil rights groups were able to successfully challenge many of Trump’s immigration policies the first time around because of how haphazardly the White House issued them. Trump’s team knows more about the legal process this time around, and has already been preparing paperwork they believe is in line with the law. Plus, there are more Trump-appointed judges who would likely back his plan.
MORE SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL
Recent polling shows a majority of registered voters (56%) now say they support mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. What is unclear is whether the current polling numbers will hold after mass roundups begin, and images of migrant camps and deportations are seen by the public. Pew recently conducted a comprehensive survey of American views on legal and illegal immigration.
HARRIS HAS MOVED TO THE RIGHT ON IMMIGRATION
The escalating crisis at the border and record number of illegal migrant crossings during the last four years has forced the Biden-Harris White House to move to the right on the issue.
Vice President Harris has been trying to talk tough on the border, emphasizing her roots as a prosecutor and attorney general in California. Since the Biden-Harris administration took office in 2021, there have been historic levels of illegal border crossings. The numbers only dropped significantly following a mid-June 2024 executive order— now at levels seen during the Trump administration.
Notably, Harris blames Trump for helping Republicans to kill a bipartisan border bill in Congress in late 2023, but has struggled to answer why more wasn’t done about the border crisis in 2022 and 2023.
📌 POLITICAL ADS ARE LEGAL, EVEN WHEN THEY INCLUDE LIES
With four days to go, the political advertisements are getting more and more extreme.
Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC posted an ad to X, that used a vulgar wordplay about the “C-word” in an attempt to portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a communist. They later deleted the ad from some of their platforms.
A dark money group funded by Musk is also running fake ads that are pretending to be Harris on Facebook, spreading falsehoods that she actively supports mandatory gun-buyback programs and Medicare benefits to undocumented immigrants.
The ads have been viewed millions of times in swing states and come from an account Progress 2028— a phony group pretending to be pro-Harris.
The ads do not appear to violate Meta’s policies.
WHEN CAN ADS BE REMOVED?
It’s up to private companies like Meta, TikTok or X to remove posts. As for TV, cable channels are allowed to reject ads, but networks like CBS, ABC, and NBC are bound by Federal Communications Commission rules to air all ads (even if they contain falsehoods.)
The Supreme Court has ruled that ads (even ones with false or misleading statements) are free speech and it’s up to the public— not the government— to be the arbiter of truth.
SOME NEW ADS GETTING ATTENTION
Both candidates are trying an unconventional tactic this campaign: Target their skeptics.
An ad targeting American Jews has older women talking about not liking Donald Trump, but asserting “at least he’ll keep us safe.”
Another Super PAC supporting Harris is out with an ad (below) targeting female partners of male Trump supporters voiced by actress Julia Roberts. It calls on them to vote for Harris and mislead their partners.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Democrats widen spending gap in final election stretch (AXIOS)
📌 Trump says "whether the women like it or not, I'm going to protect them" at Wisconsin rally (CBS) Harris says comment ‘is offensive to everybody’ (AP)
📌 House panel refers Andrew Cuomo for prosecution, alleging 'false statements' on Covid report (NBC)
📌 Trump sues CBS News for $10 billion over Harris interview edits (FOX)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 About 8,000 North Korean troops at Ukraine’s border are expected in combat in days, US says (AP)
📌 Iran preparing major retaliatory strike from Iraq within days, Israeli intel suggests (AXIOS)
📌 Spain mourns as death toll passes 150 in catastrophic floods (BBC)
📌 The world braces for the fallout of next week’s US election (SEMAFOR)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 OpenAI launches ChatGPT search, competing with Google and Microsoft (CNBC)
📌 Starbucks' plan to return to its roots involves 200,000 Sharpies (CBS)
📌 Boeing, union reach sweetened contract offer in bid to end strike, vote scheduled for Monday (AP)
📌 Less sugar in first 1,000 days of life protects against chronic disease, study finds (GUARDIAN)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Jennifer Garner channels her beloved '13 Going on 30' character for Halloween (GMA)
📌 Young Thug changes plea to guilty to gang, drug and gun charges in Georgia's longest-running criminal trial (NBC)
📌 Hailey Bieber shares first photo of baby Jack Blues since announcing birth as they celebrate Halloween (PEOPLE)
📌 Diddy accuser must reveal name or rape case will be thrown out, judge rules (PAGE SIX)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WKND
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosheh: The Diplomat Season 2~ Netflix; Jill: Martha~ Netflix.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: Both Sides Have it Wrong: Debating 2024’s Worst-Case Election Fears~ Mo News Interview Podcast with Dispatch co-founder Jonah Goldberg; Jill: Guns. Knives. Bats. Hammers. Hatchets. Spears.~ Washington Post’s Ruby Cramer takes a look at road rage.
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Mellow Yellow sandwiches, Upper East Side, NYC; Jill: Halloween candy.