The Trump administration is reportedly deporting undocumented individuals from Ireland, as noted by several immigration lawyers on the Irish Star news site.
“It’s not just happening to Latinos; it’s affecting Irish people too, and Italians,” expressed Brian O’Dwyer, an immigration attorney in New York.
“All countries are treated the same,” stated Border Security Chief Christie Noem during a House hearing on May 6.
O’Dwyer mentioned that many undocumented immigrants had been permitted to stay under “deferred action,” yet were nonetheless facing deportation.
“These are genuine individuals, and [ICE] is fulfilling their responsibilities, but they come and put handcuffs on them, holding them in custody. It’s just awful; they have to wait for weeks before being deported.”
He suspects that the real numbers are likely much higher, as many individuals are too scared to speak up, estimating at least 100 cases across the country.
Fiona Mante, an Irish immigration lawyer based in Chicago, added, “It doesn’t really matter if you’re being targeted or not. The fear and uncertainty permeate the entire community, especially when ICE conducts raids at nightclubs and other public places.”
“Some of those individuals have already been sent back,” noted Ireland’s current vice-president, Dandenee, who spoke on the Council on Relations between the US and Ireland.
“Perhaps they feel overwhelmed by a numbers game, where many, simply due to their status, are subjected to arrest without any consideration for their good character over the years.”
O’Dwyer estimates that around 50,000 undocumented Irish immigrants are living in the U.S., which might constitute about one-third of the estimated 15 million undocumented residents—though some believe the actual figure could be closer to 50 million.
The Irish government is making efforts to shelter undocumented individuals, trying to establish a program that offers multi-year work permits in professional sectors. However, these proposals have faced repeated obstacles since 2019.
Ironically, while Irish immigration is facing restrictions, the government is welcoming a surge of immigrants from the Middle East, India, and Africa. Currently, about one in four residents in Ireland are immigrants, which has led to significant increases in real estate prices and has sparked concerns about rising crime rates, economic stagnation, and declining living standards.
The mounting economic challenges faced by ordinary Irish citizens have ignited a notable wave of protests against the political and economic establishment concerning migration policies. Media coverage of these issues, however, tends to downplay or skew public perception of the situation.
