EXPERTS GUIDANCE
Immigration remains a significant issue in U.S. politics, with the national administration amplifying enforcement actions through extensive operations and the relocation of certain apprehended migrants to Guantanamo Bay. These measures have sparked ongoing discussions regarding border safety, human rights, and the country’s immigration regulations, attracting heightened international scrutiny.
Experts at U-M are ready to offer perspectives on the legal, political, and societal consequences of these policies.
Edgar Franco-Vivanco serves as an assistant professor in political science, researching how historical colonial institutions and current criminal violence contribute to economic shortfalls, particularly in Latin America.
“The existing administration’s stance on immigration will surely have detrimental impacts on countless families and numerous communities,” he remarked. “The anticipated deportations will lead to family separations and foster an atmosphere of trepidation and distrust, impacting not only undocumented immigrants but also many U.S. citizens who may face racial profiling. However, it is impractical to foresee that nearly 11 million undocumented individuals living in the United States will be deported. Such an undertaking would be incredibly intricate and costly, contradicting objectives aimed at minimizing government expenditures.
“An additional critical element of this policy involves the dynamics between the U.S. and Latin American nations. We are likely to witness a shifting landscape, with Latin American countries striving to navigate the dual challenges of large-scale deportations and tariffs. Their reactions will differ based on each nation’s leadership and negotiation power.”
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William Lopez is a clinical assistant professor specializing in health behavior and health equity, serving as a senior adviser at Poverty Solutions and a faculty associate in Latina/o studies.
“The Trump administration is systematically establishing the groundwork for the mass deportation that was promised, and we are already witnessing a heightened ICE presence in neighborhoods across the U.S., including our areas in Wayne and Washtenaw counties,” he stated.
“The millions of proposed deportations exceed any previous efforts made by the U.S., and will necessitate the involvement of police officials, the military, and ordinary citizens with no prior experience in the immigration process. Among the many communities affected will be our country’s educators, who, as research indicates, will find themselves instructing empty classrooms, explaining parental absences to their students, and grappling with the educational achievement disparities between Latino and white students that arise from escalated immigration enforcement.”
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Mara Cecilia Ostfeld functions as an associate research professor of public policy, holds the position of research director at the Center for Racial Justice, and is a faculty associate at the Center for Political Studies.
“Trump is right in noting that many of his supporters advocate for stricter immigration enforcement, including the deportation of those lacking legal status in the U.S. Yet, for a majority of Americans—including most of his voters—immigration does not top the list of priorities. The economy does,” she explained.
“In reality, individuals who voted for Trump in November were over twice as likely to cite economic issues rather than immigration as the defining factor in their choice. With immigration currently reaching historic lows and consumer sentiment declining, his ongoing criticisms of immigrants pose a hazardous strategy—particularly considering that nearly 20% of the American labor force is comprised of foreign-born individuals.”
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Silvia Pedraza is a sociology and American culture professor whose focus of study revolves around immigration, race, and ethnicity in the United States—both historical and modern. Her research also prominently features Latin America—mainly Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.
“We would benefit from recognizing that the foundation of American society has consistently been its identity as a nation of immigrants,” she expressed. “We are not a uniform nation, but a collective of individuals who have contributed various cultures, life stories, struggles, and hopes, collectively weaving the fabric that constitutes American culture.
“One of the most prevalent misunderstandings I encounter arises when I remind a white colleague that they too have an immigrant heritage.”
family background and that their relatives also originated from a different nation. They promptly concur, but shortly after remark: ‘Yes, but they arrived here legally.’ In response, I state: ‘Indeed, yet they entered before the 1924 Immigration and Nationality Act, which constituted America’s initial immigration legislation. There were no regulations for them to infringe upon. They arrived … carrying the same anguish as individuals today migrating from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.’”
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Kristina Fullerton Rico serves as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Racial Justice.
“It’s not solely the actual deportations that inflict damage. The mere possibility of deportation is sufficient to instill fear and unpredictability for undocumented immigrants and their families,” she expressed. “This feeling of increased ‘deportability’ discourages individuals from engaging in their daily activities. It may manifest as parents choosing to keep their children away from school, avoiding medical assistance, and generally remaining indoors unless absolutely essential to go out.
“The fear of deportation also leads individuals to be reluctant in asserting their rights, such as the right to report unsafe working conditions, and—given that immigrants are disproportionately employed in perilous sectors—this increases the likelihood of being harmed or even dying at work. The chilling repercussions of increased deportability affect undocumented immigrants, their families, their neighborhoods, and anyone who ‘appears to be undocumented’ due to racial discrimination.
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