A new report details a storm of harsh policies if Trump returns to office, overhauling immigration as we know it. According to a conservative think tank with close ties to the ex-president, a second term would weaponize federal funds to curb immigrant access across the country.
Dreamers, students, and workers from “recalcitrant” nations like India and China could bear the brunt.
Suggestions include blocking financial aid to states with inclusive tuition laws and axing staff reviewing Dreamer renewals. Suspending visa quotas could also ground seasonal agricultural labourers.
Even citizens may feel the chokehold, with some risking housing aid if living with non-residents. Pressure on states to share IDs with authorities threatens core benefits. Legal pathways seem no safer either—the playbook reworks family visas, skills visas, and humanitarian protections entirely.
The takeaway is bleak—a government openly leveraging immigration as collateral over foreign leaders. However, experts warn that the suffering inflicted at home harms Americans profoundly. University enrollments may plunge without internationals, and industries like agriculture face labour shortfalls.
Most concerning is how core policies break from traditional conservative ideals of merit, assimilation and interior enforcement alone. Instead, these plans systematically dismantle and reshape the system as a whole.
With the election looming, advocates are sounding alarms. For immigrants and citizens alike, the consequences of four more years could reshape life in America dramatically – and not for the better.
