USA: Trump's government boasts of alleged record number of deportations

Just under a week after the election, the US government presented figures: According to its own information, it deported almost half a million people within a year. In the fiscal year that ended at the end of September, more than 483,000 people were taken out of the country, the Department of Homeland Security said. Never before in its history has the responsible migration authority, ICE, deported more people in one year.

President Trump significantly tightened the USA's deportation policy after taking office - the actions of the migration agency ICE have been particularly criticized. Human rights organizations complain that migrants are also being deported to third countries that are not their country of birth or home country. In addition, many people are denied the opportunity to challenge their deportation decision in court.

The department's data shows a significant increase in deportations since Trump took office. While there were well over 400,000 deportations in the two years that fell entirely or mostly during his term in office, there were only 271,000 under his predecessor Joe Biden.

New chief of staff is considered the architect of the deportation policy

Shortly after the defeat in the midterm elections, Trump announced a personnel change that does not bode well for the country's future migration course. He swapped his chief of staff Susie Wiles for her previous deputy, Stephen Miller (more here). The new man in the key White House post is an outspoken hardliner with hard-right (some say fascist) tendencies.

Because of his influential role on the Trump team, Miller is often referred to as "Trump's brains." The president praised him last Friday as one of his "most trusted advisors" and "great fighter." Above all, the 41-year-old with a penchant for dark suits, sunglasses and dark threats is considered the architect of Trump's rabid anti-immigration policy.

For the Democrats, the future chief of staff is one of the biggest attractions in the Trump team. "Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and ruthless extremist who has American blood on his hands," said the opposition leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, commenting on his appointment.