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Consider This from NPR

How a once fringe idea became a Trump administration mantra

Consider This from NPR

NPR

Society & Culture, News, Daily News, News Commentary

4.15.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Trump administration is leaning into the once fringe idea of "reverse migration." 

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Brianna Scott.

It was edited by Andrew Sussman, Justine Kenin and Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.



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Transcript

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0:00.0

Last month after an Afghan national was charged in the shooting of two national guardsmen in Washington, D.C., President Trump wrote on social media, quote, only reverse migration can fully cure the situation.

0:13.5

A few days later aboard Air Force One, reporters asked what the president meant. His response?

0:18.9

It means get people out that are in our country. Get them out of here.

0:22.6

This is not the first time President Trump has used this term, reverse migration or remigration, as it's

0:28.9

sometimes referred to. On the campaign trail last year, he said on social media that he would, quote,

0:34.4

return Kamala's illegal immigrants to their home countries.

0:38.1

And then in parentheses, quote, also known as remigration.

0:41.7

Today, the president's deportation agenda is well underway.

0:45.1

The first deportation flight has landed at Guantanamo Bay.

0:48.1

Deportations of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador.

0:51.5

Inside, a deportation flight from the United States to Cuba.

0:54.8

Judge this weekend blocked the deportation of hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children.

1:00.1

Since the National Guard shooting, the U.S. has further curtailed immigration from 19 countries.

1:06.5

Some extremism experts say they are surprised to see the term remigration enter U.S. policy because

1:13.1

of its ties to white nationalism. Heidi Byrick is with the global project against hate

1:19.2

and extremism. When I think about this, I cannot believe that a federal government in the United

1:24.4

States would use terms that come from white supremacists.

1:28.6

There's always been some sort of barrier to that being mainstreamed.

1:35.3

Consider this. One hallmark of both terms of President Trump has been an effort to stop

1:41.2

immigration and to deport those without legal status.

1:44.8

Coming up, a look at the far-right concept that the Trump administration has been using to describe its agenda.

1:55.8

From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang.

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