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Trump's Plan to Deport Millions Using 18th-Century Law Could Cost Billions, Harm Economy, Builders Warn

Oct 19, 2024, 05:31 PM

Former US President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest deportation operation in American history if re-elected, aiming to remove millions of immigrants from the United States by invoking an 18th-century law. A CBS News analysis reveals that such a plan would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, including an estimated $20 billion to deport just one million undocumented immigrants. Industry leaders, contractors, and economists warn that mass deportations would harm the US economy, particularly hamstringing construction firms already grappling with labor shortages and an aging, immigrant-dependent workforce. Builders say they cannot afford to lose more workers and that deportations would drain their crews, pushing record home prices even higher. Experts note that increased immigration in recent years has helped tame inflation and avoid a recession. As both presidential candidates promise to build more homes, the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of construction workers raises concerns about meeting housing demands.