Advocate for a Just Immigration System
While the administration expands enforcement through heavy funding and sweeping deportation claims, grassroots movements and legal advocates stand firmly for human dignity and immigrant rights. Communities nationwide are countering aggressive federal policies by mobilizing support networks, providing legal aid, and using nonviolent action. These unified efforts offer a hopeful path forward, turning compassion into lasting community resilience.
Why does it matter?
Immigration remains a defining priority of Donald Trump's presidency. At the August 2024 GOP convention, attendees held "Mass Deportation Now" signs. The administration has followed through on this campaign promise, though deportation number claims vary widely. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims more than 605,000 formal deportations plus 1.9 million self-deportations. This is a total of 2.5 million people DHS says have left the country. The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute puts the real figure much lower: about 340,000 ICE deportations in FY2025, a 25% jump over FY2024 but far short of DHS's public tally. The 1.9 million self-deportation claim is even shakier. The Center for Migration Studies estimates the real number closer to 200,000, about a tenth of DHS's figure. Why is the administration hiding the data and inflating the numbers?
This deportation expansion carries a documented human cost. Trackers report at least 24 to 26 people died in ICE custody during the first seven months of 2026. This puts the year on pace to surpass 2025's total of 33 deaths, which was already the highest annual count since ICE's creation in 2003. Separate fatal enforcement encounters have also sparked sharp local backlash.
The Council on Foreign Relations wrote this overview of how the Trump administration has transformed immigration enforcement, with legality a common question.
Resources:
Trump is putting mass deportation at the heart of his campaign. Some Republicans are worried - AP
A New Era of Immigration Policy Enforcement Arrives in the Nation’s Interior and at the Border under Trump 2.0 - Migration Policy Institute
The Two Million Deportation Myth: How Aggressive Ice Enforcement Distorts Immigration Data - Center For Migration Studies
Tracking the Record High Deaths in ICE Custody - US News
ICE and Deportations: How Trump is reshaping immigration enforcement - The Council on Foreign Relations
Why did Trump make immigration a hallmark issue?
Biden's presidency was marked by claims of "open borders," reinforced by images from the southern border. The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, offers this four-part series explaining what actually drove the border crisis and how the Biden administration tried to respond.
In early 2024, Congress negotiated a bipartisan border security deal. Trump and key allies opposed the measure, leading to its defeat in the Senate. Lead negotiator Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) later stated that opposition to the bill relied on widespread mischaracterizations of its actual terms.
Resources:
How can you take action in Ohio?
Federal enforcement operations have rotated through major cities since late 2025, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and Portland. Operations in Minneapolis-St. Paul drew national focus following two fatal shootings by federal agents in January 2026. Communities have responded by organizing "Know Your Rights" drives, local observer networks, and municipal non-cooperation policies.
To support affected families or engage with local organizations, connect with these groups:
Ignite Peace - Cincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s framework for nonviolent protest remains a useful guide for engaging on an issue this charged: Philosophy of Nonviolence
Resources:
Big Budget Act Creates A “Deportation Industrial Complex” - Brennan Center for Justice
What’s in the Big Beautiful Bill? Immigration and Border Security Unpacked - American Immigration Council
US judge strikes down policy suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 nations - Reuters
Trump administration pauses all immigrant visa applications amid new screening policy - NBC News
New Dems Unveil New Plan to Secure the Border and Reform the Immigration System - New Democrat Coalition
Is there a plan to fix the immigration system?
Trump’s immigration platform is now law via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), signed on July 4, 2025.
The Law (H.R. 1): Directs roughly $170 billion toward enforcement, detention, and border wall construction. It also imposes new fees on asylum seekers, TPS holders, and sponsors of unaccompanied minors. Additional provisions take effect in October 2026.
Legal Challenges: In August 2026, a federal judge blocked an administration suspension of immigrant visas targeting 75 countries. The State Department subsequently paused global immigrant visa processing to retrain consular officers, highlighting ongoing fights over legal immigration.
The Alternative Framework: House Democrats' New Democrat Coalition offers a competing plan. It pairs border security investment with expanded legal pathways for agricultural and high-skilled workers, faster asylum processing, and increased ICE oversight.