The Escalation of the Third Wave of National Removal Operations

In addition to traditional removals, the administration has credited its aggressive enforcement posture with a rise in what it terms "self-deportations." The theory is that by making life increasingly difficult for unauthorized residents and demonstrating a high probability of arrest, individuals will choose to leave the country voluntarily. While the exact numbers of those who have left on their own are difficult to verify, the administration uses this trend to bolster its claims that the current strategy is working. This psychological component of the enforcement strategy is designed to amplify the reach of the actual physical deportations.