A coalition of policy experts and former administration officials released a proposal on Wednesday seeking to increase the scale of U.S. immigration enforcement. The "Mass Deportation Coalition," which includes former acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Mark Morgan and former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, argues that targeting workplaces where unauthorized immigrants are concentrated is essential to achieving their goal of 1 million deportations per year. The group’s playbook also recommends digitizing employment verification and preventing unauthorized immigrants from accessing credit.
The proposal comes as the Trump administration navigates internal shifts following a surge in enforcement in Minneapolis that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Since that event, the administration replaced CBP chief Greg Bovino with Tom Homan and saw the ousting of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who was replaced by then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). While White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson denied any change in agenda, social media monitoring by POLITICO showed a decrease in the phrase "mass deportations" during March.
Industry groups in agriculture, construction, and hospitality have expressed concern regarding increased workplace raids. John Hollay, president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, stated that such operations would disrupt the food supply chain and potentially raise grocery prices. The Department of Homeland Security reported deporting approximately 600,000 individuals in 2025, though the agency noted that 3 million unauthorized immigrants left the U.S. during the president's first year back in office. A DHS spokesperson said workplace enforcement remains a priority to protect labor markets and identify victims of exploitation.
Voters and workers are also affected by the competing priorities of labor and enforcement. A poll by McLaughlin & Associates found 70% of likely voters support workplace enforcement to raise wages for American workers, while a January POLITICO poll found nearly 50% of adults viewed the deportation campaign as too aggressive. The outcome of this policy debate will determine whether federal agents focus on residential "blue cities" or commercial worksites, a distinction that changed following the deaths in Minneapolis.
The next steps for this proposal depend on whether the White House adopts the coalition's recommendations or maintains its current focus on individuals with criminal records, who currently make up 70% of deportations. The Mass Deportation Coalition aims to influence the administration’s strategy for the remainder of 2026. Deadlines for any legislative changes related to credit access or employment verification were not reported, but the administration continues to manage the leadership transition at DHS following Mullin’s appointment.