"Not a bank manager"

Trump criticizes migrants with face tattoos

Deported migrants in Colombia

(Bild: AFP/Alejandro Martinez)

US President Donald Trump has defended his tough stance against migrants. This would protect the country from criminals. "We have thousands of terrorists in our country (...). We have people coming here whose faces are completely covered with tattoos", said the Republican.

These people would "probably not be the head of the local bank". During the election campaign, Trump had already referred to migrants from poorer countries in general terms as violent criminals. According to studies, however, undocumented migrants are more likely to obey the law than locals, as they shy away from contact with the authorities for fear of deportation.

Trump's measures are far-reaching and have been meticulously prepared compared to his first term in office. For example, the children of some migrants will no longer automatically receive US citizenship if they are born in the USA. Democratically governed US states, cities and human rights organizations are already taking legal action against this.

Invokes protection from "invasion"
Trump has declared a national emergency, invoking a constitutional article that obliges the federal government to protect the states from an "invasion". Constitutional law experts are critical of this interpretation.

Trump's team has already shut down an app that migrants could use to make appointments with border authorities to apply for asylum. A reception program for particularly vulnerable people from countries such as Afghanistan has been suspended, as have humanitarian exemptions. Only a few legal routes remain.

Migrants arriving in Colombia

(Bild: AFP/Handout)

Mexico's authorities set up tents at the border.

(Bild: AFP/Quetzalli Blanco)

Detention after crossing the border
In future, anyone who manages to cross the border despite all the hurdles and is apprehended by the authorities will no longer be released until the asylum procedure has been completed. As immigration courts are massively overloaded, the waiting time is likely to be several years. Until now, people have usually been released quickly to await their proceedings. 

In future, the immigration authority ICE will also be allowed to detain migrants without sensitive documents in sensitive places such as churches, schools and hospitals. Immigration detention centers are already overloaded.

Mexico's authorities have already responded by setting up tent camps for refugees along the US border. They want to be prepared for the feared mass deportations.