**Trump's Immigration Crackdown Faces Major Hurdles: Experts Weigh In**

President-elect Donald Trump has committed to initiating mass deportations on the first day of his presidency, posing significant challenges that could hamper the immediate execution of this promise. The process is complicated by an extensive backlog of close to 4 million immigration cases, as well as a shortage of immigration judges and detention facilities.

According to immigration experts, executing the proposed mass deportations could incur costs ranging from $150 billion to $350 billion. On social media, Trump recently indicated his administration's intention to declare a national emergency and employ the military to facilitate deportations, asserting this claim as "TRUE!!!"

Around 11 million undocumented immigrants currently reside in the United States, contributing to various sectors including agriculture, oil and gas, construction, healthcare, and services. Immigration attorney David Leopold suggests that the Trump administration may stage high-profile immigration raids to project a strong stance on immigration enforcement.

Despite these bold declarations, Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, a scholar of immigration law from Cornell Law School, argues that a coordinated effort involving all federal and local agencies would be unlikely. The current infrastructure lacks sufficient holding cells for millions awaiting deportation, and Maribel Hernández Rivera from the ACLU warns that temporary holding centers are expected to be inhumane and poorly constructed.

Detainees still retain the right to due process, but with 3.7 million people already in line for hearings, the system is significantly overburdened. History indicates that such large-scale deportation efforts would not only disrupt local communities and economies but also instill widespread fear among undocumented individuals.

Immigration advocates and lawyers are gearing up to defend against the potential mass deportations and other actions promised by Trump. This preparation underscores the immensity of the proposed changes which could also impact U.S. industries already experiencing labor shortages, potentially reducing the national gross domestic product by up to 6.8%.

Undocumented laborers, while a small fraction of the total workforce, play crucial roles in fields such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality. Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy would radically redefine the landscape of U.S. labor and economic policies, carrying far-reaching implications for millions across the nation.