Last September, during his campaign in Iowa, former President Donald Trump made quite the promise to voters. He pledged to carry out the biggest deportation operation in American history if he were re-elected, drawing inspiration from Eisenhower’s playbook. He referred to Operation Wetback, a controversial campaign from the 1950s aimed at curbing undocumented immigration, particularly from Mexico.
Trump’s repeated this promise at rallies nationwide, proposing to set up temporary immigration detention centers and mobilize local, state, and federal authorities, including the National Guard, to remove an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S.
However, as someone who studies migration, I find Trump’s proposal deeply troubling and misleading. It not only stokes unfounded fears of an immigrant “invasion” but also misinterprets the context and impact of Eisenhower’s policy while overlooking the vastly different immigration landscape today.
Operation Wetback was spearheaded by General Joseph Swing in 1954, aiming to apprehend and deport undocumented immigrants primarily from the southern border areas. INS agents raided various locations, including factories and neighborhoods, detaining immigrants before deporting them. While touted as a success, it’s essential to note that the actual number of deportations was inflated, with many immigrants leaving voluntarily or under duress without formal removal orders.
Moreover, Operation Wetback coincided with the Bracero Program, a significant guest-worker initiative between the U.S. and Mexico. This legal avenue for employment played a pivotal role in reducing undocumented immigration. When the Bracero Program ended in 1964, illegal border crossings surged again, highlighting the interconnectedness of legal immigration channels and undocumented migration patterns.
In essence, Operation Wetback’s impact on reducing undocumented immigration was less about deportation and more about incentivizing legal labor migration. Trump’s proposal to replicate such a campaign today fails to acknowledge the complexities of modern immigration and the need for comprehensive reform rather than simplistic, punitive measures.
