On a quiet February morning in 1931, the heart of Los Angeles bore witness to America’s racialization of migrants. Olvera Street, a gathering place alive with community, became the stage for a deportation raid aimed to be a scare tactic to drive out Mexican migrants. On that day, February 26, officers swept through the plaza, rounding up men, women and children based on the language they spoke, the color of their skin and if they “looked Mexican.”

In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower organized “Operation Wetback” in response to the growing population of Mexican migrants through the Bracero Program, deporting approximately 300,000-1.2 million people — some American citizens. 

The operation used military-style tactics, and with help from the Mexican government, the United States would run the largest deportation operation in history. Immigrants were shoved into buses, boats and planes and sent to unfamiliar parts of Mexico.

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This is a tactic President-elect Donald Trump emphasizes he will execute. 

Mass deportations have been a central focus of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policies. Recently, he announced plans to declare a national emergency and deploy the military to carry out what he describes as the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. 

A national emergency is defined as a state resulting from danger or threat of danger from foreign or domestic sources. Therefore, how does deporting all undocumented immigrants — who contribute over $96.7 billion in taxes annually and form the backbone of industries like agriculture, essential, hospitality and labor — qualify as a national emergency? 

These individuals play a critical role in advancing the economy yet get targeted as a threat to the social and economic fabric of the U.S. 

Local and federal law enforcement have turned to racial profiling to capture undocumented immigrants, including in prominent Latine spaces. The Los Angeles Police Department used a “broken window” tactic in the 1980s, which would target immigrants in their daily lives, such as at the spaces for street vending and day labor sites. However, the department has shifted as incoming LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has stated he refuses to support Trump’s deportation schemes. 

“LAPD will protect L.A.’s immigrant community. We will not cooperate with mass deportations,” McDonnell stated.

With nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S., comprising approximately 3% of the population, this project will hurt the U.S. more than benefit it. Mass deportations have historically targeted people based on language and skin color. Additionally, as of 2018, 6.1 million U.S. citizens under 18 lived with at least one undocumented family, making 18.1 million people affected by Trump’s immigration plans. 

For many voters this time, the economy was their biggest concern; the prices of gas and essentials were at the forefront of their decision. However, the cost of waging such deportation efforts would have a major impact on the U.S. economy and labor market.

When Trump was president in 2016, the cost of deporting one person was $14,614 and deporting all 11 million would be an estimated $216 billion. Last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was allocated $9 billion. Therefore, allocating $216 billion to mass deportations would have to go through Congress, and even if passed, is this truly a top priority in the nation? 

With medical debt at $220 billion, such an allocation could remove this financial burden from approximately 14 million people. Deporting 11 million people in a four-year period would cost more than 20 times what the U.S. has spent in the last five years by deporting people living in the U.S. 

Becoming knowledgeable about the role immigrants play in our country and the immigration system is crucial in understanding the impact mass deportations will have. Mass deportations are projected to take an estimated 10 years, primarily due to immigrants having due process rights and the limited number of immigration courts make this plan not only impractical but highly unlikely within a four-year time frame. 

In a country that relies on a low-cost workforce where 8 to 9 million undocumented immigrants work in essential jobs like farm work, construction or skilled labor, the impact on the mortgage rates and the nation’s food supply would be palpable. Construction firms are warning about the loss of potential workers, stating that the loss of immigrant workers would push new home prices higher. 

The economy does not improve when you remove the backbone that supports the economy. It is time the American people wake up and learn how the immigration system works and the role undocumented immigrants play in this country without getting federal benefits. Those calling for mass deportations must be prepared for an economic disaster that will drive up the cost of basic needs and higher grocery prices with a collapse of the agriculture system. 

Heydy Vasquez is a junior writing about the lack of support for undocumented students on college campuses. Her column, “Undocu-Tales,” runs every other Friday.