The United States Secretary of National Security, Kristi Noem, stated that 2.6 million undocumented immigrants have left the country since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, as a result of the new immigration offensive driven by his administration.
In a video published on the official Government account on the social network X, Noem detailed that 650,000 people were arrested, detained and deported, while around two million chose self-deportation due to the tightening of immigration policies and the increase in federal operations.
The figure was presented as an achievement by the Trump administration, which already in November proclaimed to have reached the largest decrease in the foreign population in the United States in more than 50 years, relying on mass deportations, legal pressure, and extreme reinforcement of border control.
However, this data also reveals a structural contradiction. While the White House celebrates what it describes as a "restoration of order," various economic sectors are facing a labor shortage, million-dollar losses, and challenges in sustaining key activities such as agriculture, construction, services, and hospitality.
Analysts warn that the drastic reduction in migration flows exposes the country's historical dependence on immigrant workers, a reality that the current strategy seems to ignore. Although immigration policy may yield short-term political benefits, it also creates a gap that neither the labor market nor the government itself has shown the ability to fill.
Trump's immigration offensive redefines the demographic landscape of the country, but leaves open questions about its economic and social impact in the medium and long term.
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