One of the lesser-known effects of the Trump administration’s commitment to mass deportations is the right’s newfound freedom to talk of expelling anyone of whom they disapprove. You’ll hear people casually talking about deporting New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, or Donald Trump suggesting that “the Squad” — the self-proclaimed group that includes Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, all women of color — should “go back” where they came from, despite the fact that three of the four were born in the United States. Even though Omar, who was born in Somalia, became a naturalized citizen when she was 17, Trump has said many times that she should be deported.
It has become commonplace to hear such threats in the political discourse on the right. Even former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, herself the daughter of immigrants, said in 2022 that Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., should be expelled from the country. (Warnock was born in Savannah, Georgia.)
