With the recent surge of ICE raids and protests, it seems as if history is repeating itself. Trump has ordered ICE raids in major cities across the country, including Chicago. On June 4, 2025, ICE ambushed several immigrants in the South Loop. As a city, we did not stay silent. Protests against the raids and the current administration have popped up nationwide, most notably in Los Angeles. With ICE taking immigrants and the administration even deporting citizens, it is giving the Latino community and historians deja vu.
The Scapegoat
During the early years of the Great Depression, the blame for who or what caused the economic downturn was thrown around frequently. Some blamed the bankers or stockholders, or the government. But in his xenophobic search for a scapegoat, President Herbert Hoover targeted the Latino community, particularly Mexican Americans. This reared its head as a series of deportations. It started with Hoover, but FDR’s administration followed in kind. During this time, many mass deportations occurred. Men, women and children were taken by the government and put on a train back to Mexico. The problem wasn’t the lack of due process but the profiling that determined who was an immigrant based on looks and language. The result? 1.8 million people were deported, an estimated 60 percent of which were American citizens. Were they all criminals? Did they create the Great Depression? No, these were American citizens deported because the U.S. government needed a scapegoat. Today, we are seeing the same patterns with the current administration.
Second wave of deportation
A disclaimer for the following information: the name the U.S. government chose for this deportation plan contains a slur. Mass deportation was enforced in the 1950s. This was justified by “concerns” over the safety of our southern borders and the growing population of immigrants. The concern was mainly directed at the notion that immigrants were taking American jobs and jobs that could go to returning soldiers. Under the Eisenhower administration, Attorney General Brownell and the director of Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), Joseph Swing, put the mass deportation plan into effect under the name Operation Wetback.
This operation was focused on reducing the number of immigrants within the U.S. and discouraging employers from hiring immigrants. Swing, along with military personnel, spearheaded the operation, with the strategy being held like a military operation. Between 1953 and 1954, hundreds of thousands of immigrants were deported. The military-style roundups, the narrative for the reasoning of the deportations, and the name of the operation seem to be lost in the history books. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. And those who don’t care to learn most likely want to repeat it.
Modern Day
With these two historical mass deportations that reached the millions, how do we fare today? Since his first run for presidency, Trump has pushed a xenophobic narrative to bring fear upon Americans about immigrants and foreigners. Since then, racist and xenophobic talking points have been pushed and encouraged by him and his peers. We’ve heard slogans like “Undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes,” “They are all criminals,” and “They are stealing our jobs.”
“Undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes” is a common phrase that is heard when discussing reasons to deport immigrants. In July 1996, the IRS created the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). The ITIN was created for foreign nationals and undocumented immigrants to comply with U.S. tax laws. Those who receive an ITIN may provide tax information; however, it doesn’t grant them a Social Security Number or legal status. Those that fall under this are foreign professors, students, researchers, spouses of U.S. citizens who are undocumented, and spouses of those who are undocumented with an ITIN. In a recent report by the Institute On Taxation and Economic Policy, in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid nearly $97 billion in taxes at all three levels of government. Since the creation of the ITIN program, the IRS has issued 26 million ITINs. If that is the case, then the argument that “Illegals don’t pay taxes” is a lie. It is a false narrative pushed by the lack of knowledge that the ITIN exists on a W-7.
When people say “They’re all criminals” when referring to undocumented immigrants, it can be interpreted in their legal status. But recently, the notion of a majority being drug dealers, rapists, and murderers has become a popular argument point. The real truth is that being an undocumented immigrant or an illegal immigrant is classified as a civil offense. Meaning it is no more of an offense than a breach of contract or owing a debt. There is more nuance, but it is still categorized as a civil offense, not a criminal offense. In reality, the U.S. isn’t our land, but even more so, the Southwest was part of Mexico. The annexation was the result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Although it was a treaty, it wasn’t taken peacefully. Many Mexicans were killed and displaced by American settlers. That is why the phrase “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us” is common in the southwestern states. Despite all of the history, undocumented immigrants are criminalized for a civil offense.
As of June 1, 2025, multiple sources such as CNN and Tracreports claim that over 70% of undocumented immigrants had no criminal record or minor offenses. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, from January to April of this year, they arrested 5,178 immigrants. Of these, only 11 arrests were homicide and manslaughter, 81 (1%) were sexual offenses, 71 (1%) were illegal weapon charges, 567 (11%) were drug charges, 238 (5%) were burglary or theft, and 406 (8%) were some sort of assault. If we go based on the data gathered by our government, then it seems that the argument that they are all criminals isn’t as strong.
Finally, the phrase “They’re taking America’s jobs” is an age-old saying when talking about immigration. As stated before, the fear of immigrants taking American jobs has been around for years and was the main reason for Operation Wetback. The blame is pointed towards the immigrants, but the blame should be pointed towards the employers and towards American capitalism, in general. The U.S. has historically imported slaves and cheap labor when it was advantageous and scorned them when the job was done. And now, employers seek undocumented immigrants because they can pay the workers less than a native citizen. Even more so, the employer doesn’t have to pay payroll taxes on undocumented immigrants. Trump recently announced he would withhold ICE raids on farm workers, among others, but then later announced he’s going to go back on his promise. So, ICE raids may affect farm workers and agricultural industries. As of this year, 70% of agricultural workers are immigrants, but of those, 40% are undocumented according to the Farm Aid website. The consequences of the raids would fall onto the American citizens he claims to be protecting.
What now?
As we went through the history of mass deportations, we saw the patterns used to promote deportation. Citizens and immigrants alike were attacked and are currently being attacked. If the saying is right, then history is repeating itself.
