Before winning the presidential election last month, Donald Trump made immigration and border issues—and particularly his promise to carry out the "largest deportation operation in American history"—a centerpiece of his campaign.
News coverage of polling on mass deportation indicated that large shares of Americans were on board with Trump's plan, which could target between 15 million and 20 million people, per the president-elect's count. Trump's reelection represents a "mandate" from voters "to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals," said Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson, last month. Media interpretations of polling could very well play into the perception of a mandate to conduct large-scale deportations.
