The Trump administration’s Project 2025 blueprint is dismantling U.S. immigration protections, enabling rapid deportations and ICE raids in previously off-limits sites with dire consequences for immigrant families.

At a Glance

• Project 2025 aims to expand expedited removals across the U.S., allowing for quicker deportations without judicial review.
• The plan proposes eliminating protections for sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, enabling ICE raids in these areas.
• Key immigration relief programs, including DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), are targeted for repeal.
• The Diversity Visa Lottery and family-based immigration face significant restrictions in favor of a merit-based system.
• The federal government plans to deepen partnerships with local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws.

Expedited Deportations and Sensitive Site Raids

At the core of Project 2025 lies the aggressive expansion of expedited removal procedures—historically limited to border regions—which would now allow federal agents to swiftly deport undocumented immigrants from any point inside the United States. The policy eliminates any requirement for judicial review, which civil liberties advocates warn could increase the risk of wrongful deportations.

More controversially, Project 2025 proposes eliminating longstanding protections for “sensitive locations” such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Under the proposed rules, ICE could conduct raids in these traditionally safeguarded zones, raising fears that immigrant families may avoid essential services such as medical care or education to evade detection. This policy reversal threatens to upend a fragile balance that has, until now, shielded vulnerable communities from the full weight of immigration enforcement.

Watch a report: How Trump’s Policies Align With Project 2025: A Comparison.

Dismantling Relief Programs and Pathways

Simultaneously, the administration has set its sights on dismantling pivotal immigration relief programs. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children, is slated for full repeal. Similarly, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which grants refuge to those escaping conflict or natural disasters, is being targeted. Removing these protections would expose nearly 700,000 DACA recipients and over 400,000 TPS holders to deportation.

Project 2025 also seeks to abolish the Diversity Visa Lottery and drastically curtail family-based immigration avenues, often criticized by conservatives as “chain migration.” In their place, the administration is pushing a merit-based system favoring skilled workers—an approach critics argue could reduce the cultural and ethnic diversity of new immigrants and stifle family reunifications.

Border Militarization and Local Enforcement

Beyond internal policy shifts, the administration plans a sweeping militarization of the border and an unprecedented deputization of local law enforcement. Programs like 287(g), which authorizes local police to perform immigration duties, are set for broad expansion. This strategy aligns with broader goals to amplify deportation targets and eliminate discretionary entry pathways such as refugee admissions, which have been suspended indefinitely under current plans.

In parallel, sanctuary cities and advocacy groups are mounting fierce legal challenges against these moves, warning of potential civil rights violations and constitutional crises. Still, the administration remains committed to asserting executive control over immigration, framing these efforts as essential to national security.

As the U.S. edges closer to implementing the full scale of Project 2025, the nation faces a high-stakes battle over the future of immigration—one where the consequences could redefine America’s identity and its global standing.