As the Trump administration moves forward with its immigration crackdown, thousands of undocumented migrants residing in the U.S. have already been arrested and repatriated to their countries of origin. Yet, with less than a month in office, President Donald Trump has a long way to go in order to conduct what he has described as the largest deportation operation in American history.
The Latin Times reached out to Don Riding, a former USCIS official with more than 20 years of experience working in different upper management roles within the agency, to evaluate some of Trump's latest immigration-related executive orders, most of which he agreed with based on his experience investigating and reviewing immigration cases. However, the former immigration official expressed strong opposition to Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship, calling it a "logistical nightmare."
Unintended Consequences of Ending Birthright Citizenship
While Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship has been blocked by three federal judges who deemed it unconstitutional, his administration is expected to continue challenging the constitutional right.
In the unlikely scenario Trump were to be successful in amending the constitution, Riding thinks the move would pose a "logistical nightmare" to immigration authorities. "If birth in the U.S. no longer guarantees citizenship, then an American birth certificate will no longer be proof of citizenship," he explained.
If that were to happen, parents would have to obtain separate proof of citizenship documents for their children, which currently cost over $1,300 per child. "Alternatively, every child would need a passport, overwhelming the system and costing families hundreds of dollars per child. This is an unnecessary burden," Riding said, evaluating the matter purely from a logistical point of view.
Parents currently list their country of birth on birth certificates knowing it won't affect their child's citizenship. Riding said the move could encourage people to lie. "If birthright citizenship ends, some parents might lie about their birthplace to secure citizenship for their child. This would create rampant fraud. Would we have to station an immigration officer at every hospital to verify parents' birthplaces? The logistical nightmare would be enormous," he said.
Riding, a Republican, says he is not married to the party on all issues. Contrary to top GOP officials, he thinks "birthright citizenship is what made America great" giving the United States the historical advantage of growth and diversity. "In contrast, Spanish colonies did not grant birthright citizenship, leading to less diversity and slower growth," he said.
Limitations on Asylum Seekers
Trump's immigration policies extend beyond deportations, with a significant focus on asylum restrictions. During his first week in office, Trump issued a series of executive orders that stranded thousands of asylum seekers in Mexico.
While criticized by advocates for allegedly "violating human rights", Riding told the Latin Times that the U.S. asylum program is highly misinterpreted by thousands of immigrants. He said the program is the root of the "border crisis" as it encourages illegal entry by people who will most likely be denied asylum.
"There are two programs: asylum and refugee status. The refugee program requires applicants to apply from outside the U.S. and be vetted before arrival. This ensures they qualify before being granted entry. Asylum, however, allows people to claim protection upon arrival without prior vetting, and over 90% of these claims are denied. Since most claims are denied, Trump's Remain in Mexico policy prevents people from entering the U.S. only to be deported later, which helps prevent abuse of the system."
- Don Riding, Former USCIS Field Director
Mass Deportation Limitations
Having worked in different immigration facilities across California and Texas, Riding also shared his thoughts on Trump's mass deportation plans. He believes the administration will face important challenges when it comes to detention space and coordination with foreign countries for repatriations.
The Trump administration freed more than 400 detained immigrants due to lack of detention space, with CBS News reporting last week that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has already exceeded capacity in its detention centers. It was holding about 42,000 people on Tuesday morning, 9% more than the some 38,500 it has across the country, distributed in for-profit prisons and county jails.
Apart from space, authorities have to coordinate detention durations, which can vary depending on how long the immigrants' countries of origin take to process necessary documentation.
"In order to deport someone, they had to have a travel document or identification so that the receiving country would accept them," explained Riding, who for 27 years of his career supervised almost all immigration activity in central California. "If an alien lacks the necessary documents, they can remain in detention for months while waiting for their paperwork."
Riding told the Latin Times he would sometimes avoid detaining non-criminal undocumented immigrants over the holidays "simply because we couldn't afford to hold them." The cost of detention is a significant logistical challenge, he said.
Additionally, immigrants with violent criminal records present unique challenges as they have to be escorted by law enforcement officials. According to Riding, during his time as an immigration official, criminal migrants were transported in commercial airlines, but the practice received pushback. "It seems like they are using military planes now, which makes sense because commercial airlines won't take that many criminal aliens at once," he said.
Self-Deportation
As part of Trump's broader immigration strategy, Border Czar Thomas Homan has repeatedly encouraged undocumented immigrants to self-deport. But does self-deportation offer any tangible benefits? According to Riding, it does.
"The biggest incentive is avoiding detention and a formal deportation order. If someone agrees to self-deport, they don't have to go before an immigration judge, and it doesn't count as a deportation on their record. This means they can still apply for a visitor's visa in the future without a deportation history affecting their case," he explained.
A border security scholar interviewed by the Latin Times back in November 2024 said that mass deportations are usually accompanied by the involuntary self-deportation of minors, including U.S. citizens who are left in the country without their main caretakers.
While self-deportation is popularly encouraged by ICE, studies by the American Immigration Council suggest that undocumented immigrants, having established deep roots in the U.S.—such as homes, jobs, and families—are less likely to self-deport despite increased enforcement measures as the potential losses associated with leaving often outweigh the perceived risks of staying.
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