Immigration was a deciding issue in the election. Will it be the priority in the 119th Congress?

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Immigration policy was a dominant factor in Trump's presidential win as he promised to listen to voters on the issue. This week's news tracks NumbersUSA commentary before and after the election.

WATCH: Jim Robb appeared on KFOX14 discussing how Hispanic voters in Texas go for Trump (also here) (Nov. 4)

Anchor Robert Holguin talks to Jim Robb about why Hispanics are moving towards supporting candidate Donald Trump. The border, according to Jim's analysis, is a big issue.

READ: Newsweek quoted Eric Ruark in "How Donald Trump's Deportation Plan Would Work" (Nov. 6)

Dan Gooding and Billal Rahman report on the implementation of President-elect Trump's Operation Aurora deportation plan to begin in January 2025. Eric Ruark is quoted saying that the plan is the will of voters and the results would benefit Americans:

"Trump promised to reestablish the rule of law, both at the border and in the interior of the country. This clearly resonated with voters appalled by the Biden-Harris administration's open border policies, which have brought in the largest number of immigrants -- both legal and illegal -- of any single-term administration in history," Ruark said.

"America was on pace to add 35 million new foreign residents in a single decade, an unsustainable increase that'd make it harder for American citizens to afford housing, secure good-paying jobs, and improve their quality of life."

READ: The Washington Examiner quoted Eric Ruark in "Border Patrol prepares for 'onslaught' of illegal immigrants before Trump inauguration" (Nov. 8)

Reporter Anna Giaritelli writes on preparations being made by the Border Patrol in anticipation of an influx of arrivals in the weeks before President-elect Trump takes office. Eric Ruark explains the important role Mexico plays in America's fight against illegal immigration:

"A lot of it depends on the Mexican president ... whether the government of Mexico feels that it's in their best interest not to see a huge surge before Trump takes office, or whether they're going to take a more, I guess, confrontational approach with the Trump administration on this," said Ruark in a phone call. "They certainly do have some leverage when it comes to it. They could make demands that in order for us to better control the flow, we need trade concessions or something like that."

Read: BBC quoted Eric Ruark in "How would Trump's promise of mass deportations of migrants work?" (Nov 7)

Reporters Bernd Debusmann Jr and Mike Wendling examine the challenges the Trump administration will face with mass deportations and ask if it can be done. Eric Ruark explains:

"...any deportation programme from the interior would only be effective if coupled with increased border enforcement...That has to be the priority. You're going to make very little progress in the interior if that's not the case," he said. "That's what keeps people showing up."

Additionally, Mr Ruark said that a crackdown on companies that hire undocumented migrants would also be necessary.

"They're coming for jobs," he said. "And they're getting those jobs because interior enforcement has basically been dismantled."

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