Erika D. Smith, Columnist

Americans’ Pro-Deportation Fervor Won't Age Well

Japanese incarceration during WWII was even more popular than today’s anti-immigrant policies. But views can change.

April 24, 2025 at 11:30 AM UTC

Erika D. Smith is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She is a former Los Angeles Times columnist and Sacramento Bee editorial board member.

Deported without due process.
Photographer: Pedro Mattey/AFP/Getty Images

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With each passing week, the appalling case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father who was deported in “error” to a Salvadoran megaprison, is turning into as much of a litmus test for the US Constitution as it is for public opinion.

How much do Americans care about the rule of law? Does everyone, regardless of immigration status, deserve due process? When is it really OK for a president to use the Alien Enemies Act?

Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal

LEARN MORE