As Trump vows mass deportations, immigrant rights groups brace for action

Litigation to stymie his immigration agenda is already underway. While Trump was still on the campaign trail, legal groups scrutinized his immigration promises in order to identify potential legal challenges that could be brought against his anticipated policies. On Nov. 18, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit seeking details on how ICE might use air travel to carry out mass deportations under Trump.

“For months, the ACLU has been preparing for the possibility of a mass detention and deportation program, and [Freedom of Information Act] litigation has been a central part of our roadmap,” Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “A second Trump administration underscores the urgency of our litigation.”