Fact check: Is trump deporting homegrown

1. Summary of the results

The question of whether Trump is deporting "homegrown" individuals (presumably meaning U.S. citizens) requires important clarification. While Trump's administration has conducted extensive deportations, targeting both criminal and non-criminal immigrants with over 30,000 arrests and 139,000 deportations ^[1], it is legally impossible to deport U.S. citizens ^[2]. Though Trump has discussed sending "homegrown criminals" to El Salvador in meetings with President Bukele ^[3], legal experts confirm there is no legal mechanism for deporting citizens ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original query lacks crucial context about the scope and nature of deportations:

• Of the 32,000 arrests in Trump's first 50 days:
• 8,700 were classified as "immigration violators"
• 8,718 were non-criminal migrants with no criminal record ^[4]
• Extreme cases have occurred, such as the effective deportation of U.S. citizens through the removal of their undocumented parents, including a 10-year-old with brain cancer ^[4]
• Trump's administration has issued wide-ranging executive orders that narrow pathways to legal status ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The term "homegrown" creates potential confusion and misinformation:

• It conflates citizenship status with residency duration, potentially misleading people about deportation legality
• The narrative benefits multiple groups:
• Political actors can use deportation threats to generate fear and control
• Immigration enforcement agencies like ICE can justify expanded powers and budgets
• Media outlets can generate engagement through sensational coverage
• While discussions about deporting citizens have occurred at high levels ^[3], such actions would be unconstitutional and illegal ^[3], making these statements more rhetorical than practical