Trump’s deportation goals: the impact of Operation Aurora on Latin American migrants

Abstract

This article analyzes the so-called “Operation Aurora,” promoted by the Donald Trump administration, as an expression of a security-focused and punitive shift in U.S. immigration policy. Based on a contrast between the ambitious numerical deportation targets and the actual historical capacity of the state apparatus, the paper demonstrates the operational unfeasibility of the proposal and its high social, economic, and humanitarian costs. Through a historical comparison with the 1954 “Operation Wet Back,” it warns of the risk of repeating past mistakes characterized by inefficiency, systematic human rights violations, and disruption of key economic sectors, especially agriculture. It also examines the punitive externalization strategy towards El Salvador, highlighting its legal implications, the impact on due process, and the principle of non-refoulement. The text concludes that these policies not only erode fundamental rights and democratic values but also generate counterproductive effects for the economy and social cohesion in the United States and the region.