An archived article from The New Yorker discusses the Trump administration’s policy of detaining in custody those illegal immigrants who are up for deportation. As you might guess, the author doesn’t approve of this Stephen Miller-directed policy change.
The model is elegant in its simplicity. Being in the US as an illegal immigrant is preferable to life in one’s home country, but being in a US jail is likely not preferable to being sent home. That the incarceration is unpleasant is a feature, not a defect.
That simple truth encourages many so held to accept voluntary deportation as a “get out of jail free” card. The legal hassle is obviated and the desired end state is achieved thereby.
