THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2025 23 Implement Humane Deportation Solutions Based on my experience developing policy options for Secretary of State Warren Christopher’s policy and resources staff in response to the Haitian refugee crisis of the 1990s, I offer the following ideas for the new administration on how to structure and implement deportation of undocumented migrants in a humane and effective manner. 1. Set the objective clearly. Deport criminal illegal immigrants, and others who already are under deportation orders, through law enforcement solutions. Offer voluntary incentives initially for other undocumented migrants to return home. 2. Design deportation programs to be implemented within the boundaries of legal statutes and reinstated executive orders; they are far less expensive than deportation schemes that rely on nonvoluntary solutions only. Note: The cost of a one-time mass deportation program would be astronomical—on the order of $315 billion, at a minimum. The expense of detaining such immigrants is estimated by the American Immigration Council to be $167.8 billion. While up to 20 percent of undocumented aliens could “self-deport,” many more could be enticed to leave if some sort of family stipend is offered. Austria, for example, has offered to pay Syrian refugees a stipend of up to 1,000 Euros to return home. 3. Carefully assess critical U.S. workforce requirements filled by undocumented laborers that likely would not be filled by U.S. citizens before targeting illegal workers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workplace sweeps. For example, the all-important construction industry could be decimated by targeting those workers for deportation. Overall, it is estimated that as many as 8.3 million undocumented migrants are employed in the U.S., or 5.2 percent of the workforce. 4. Emphasize the voluntary nature of the program/incentives for illegal immigrants who are not criminals or already under
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