Francis Wilkinson, Columnist

Yes, Mass Deportations Are Coming. And We Know Why.

Trump ordered it. Immigration agents will carry it out.

February 23, 2017 at 6:02 PM UTC

Francis Wilkinson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US politics and policy. Previously, he was executive editor for the Week and a writer for Rolling Stone.

Holding on.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

There are two main questions about President Donald Trump's recently issued immigration policies. First, is the administration embarking on a campaign of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants? Second, if so, why?

Trump's executive orders on border security and immigration require aggressive deportations, which are facilitated by loosening definitions of criminal behavior and making it easier to affix the "criminal" label to almost any undocumented immigrant.