[bcherny]

It’s certainly a statement about our society that we talk about who “deserves” and doesn’t deserve to be deported (not just you, but others and even NPR use that choice of words). As if being deported is a punishment - like prison - for those of us that we can get away with applying it to.

[a_t48]

Hmm, fair point. Do you have a suitable substitution?

[bcherny]

It’s a good question. Practically speaking, no. The US has done some pretty Machiavellian stuff to kick out immigrants before (eg. See the Mexican expulsion in the 1930s). It’s hard to justify that kind of thing given the really limited harm that illegal immigrants have on society. Open borders are also dubious given how many social services the US provides. So this is probably a reasonable policy, but it does create some strange dynamics.

[domevent]

Where you’re deported to seems like a key factor here, along with whether or not you had to flee from that place, and if you have any connections there. In this case it’s Somalia, he had to flee along with his family, and he has no connections. It’s hard to argue that it isn’t a punishment, with potentially dire consequences.