Immigrants living legally in the United States are also now subject to President Donald Trump's new crackdown. They are now facing deportation.


Fulfilling his campaign promise to carry out the largest deportation program in US history, Trump is now targeting the 1.2 million immigrants who were allowed to stay in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).


Previous administrations, including Joe Biden, have granted this protection to immigrants fleeing war and natural disasters. Under this status, they are allowed to work in the United States for up to 18 months, which is renewable.


But in recent weeks, Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noam has revoked the protection of more than 700,000 immigrants in the TPS program, Axios reported.


The most affected of these are 348,187 Haitians who fled violence and human rights violations. 348,187 Venezuelans who fled the repressive regime of Nicolas Maduro and 11,700 Afghans.


A Haitian who received TPS said, “I have never come here or stayed here illegally, I am not a criminal in any way.” He added, “If I have to go back to Haiti, I will just pray that I am not shot to death.”


Among those affected are 52,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans who have been receiving this protection since 1999.


“Honduras is not yet ready to take back such a large number of migrants,” said Leonardo Valenzuela Neda, the deputy head of the Honduran embassy in the United States.


The Trump administration has also targeted hundreds of thousands of migrants who received humanitarian “parole” benefits granted by Biden, which would have allowed migrants to stay and work in the United States for a limited period of time. But immigration courts are now canceling these parole cases.


These immigrants are now being detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents and sent on a rapid deportation path, without any hearings. Activists have dubbed the process “removalpalooza.”


The policy change is expected to help Trump achieve his deportation goals, as the administration ramps up its ICE crackdown.


The Trump administration has also ruled that immigrants who entered the United States illegally will not be able to apply for bail while they are in court.


In a July 8 memo, ICE acting director Todd Lyons told officers that immigrants can be detained throughout the court process. The process can last months or even years, and could apply to millions of immigrants who have entered the country in recent years.


New Budget Allocation for Deportation


The US Congress recently passed a $45 billion budget over four years, which aims to fund the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.


“The TPS program was never designed as a path to permanent citizenship or permanent residency,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. She added, “The Biden administration has abused these programs.”


The Trump administration’s strategy in this campaign is clear: tough action is now being taken against both legal and illegal immigrants, setting a new direction in immigration policy.