Can America’s economy cope with mass deportations?
Production slowdowns, more imports and pricier housing could follow
When Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, deportations will be a priority. The president-elect has promised the biggest removals in American history, with workplace raids and the revocation of parole programmes. Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff, and Tom Homan, his border tsar, want to use the armed forces to get the job done. Mr Trump has cited “Operation Wetback”, a controversial campaign in the 1950s under President Dwight Eisenhower, which threw out around 1.1m people, as an inspiration.
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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Labour the point”
From the January 11th 2025 edition
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