As the Trump administration rolls out aggressive new deportation measures in 2025, there’s a crucial group being overlooked in the national conversation: immigrants with disabilities. These individuals often come to the United States seeking not just safety, but the basic right to live with dignity and accessibility—something their home countries may not provide. Deporting them without consideration for their medical and infrastructural needs can lead to devastating, even life-threatening consequences.

In countries like Russia and Mexico, where I’ve personally witnessed the lack of accommodations, people with physical disabilities are often confined to their homes—not because they choose to be, but because the world outside is built against them. Many streets have no ramps, public transportation isn’t wheelchair-accessible, elevators are scarce or unreliable, and the social stigma is heavy. Without access to things like physical therapy, medical technology, or legal protections equivalent to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), deportation becomes more than just a policy decision—it becomes a sentence to isolation.

Despite these realities, this issue remains underreported. Disabled immigrants are a minority within a minority, making them even more invisible in public discourse. Their stories don’t fit neatly into political talking points or evening headlines. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. When immigration policy is shaped without acknowledging the unique needs of disabled people, the outcome can be inhumane—even catastrophic.

My Thoughts

From my personal experience, I’ve seen how inaccessible other countries can be for people with physical disabilities. In Russia, I was told that many disabled people simply stay home—they don’t work, they don’t go out, and they live isolated lives. In Mexico, I noticed the lack of ramps, elevators, or accessible taxis. These are everyday tools that allow people in the U.S. to function independently, but they’re often nonexistent abroad.

That’s why deporting someone with a disability, without examining whether their country of origin can support their basic needs, is not just unfair—it’s dangerous. The U.S. may not be perfect, but it offers a level of accessibility that gives disabled people a chance at independence, health, and dignity. Immigration policy must consider this reality.

We can’t continue to treat deportation as a one-size-fits-all decision. We must ask better questions—and we must care about the answers.

Question to Consider

How can immigration policies be improved to responsibly evaluate and protect individuals with disabilities before deportation decisions are made?

My Sources     

1. The Guardian – Deportations Ramp Up Under Trump
   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/us-immigration-policy-trump-deportations

2. NY Post – Executive Order on Immigrant Benefits
   https://nypost.com/2024/01/26/trump-signs-order-limiting-immigrant-access-to-benefits/

3. Human Rights Watch – Medical Deportations
   https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/05/us-medical-deportations-risk-lives

Despite these sources providing useful context about deportation policies and crackdowns, none of them directly address the deportation of people with disabilities. That silence is not just an oversight—it’s a reflection of how marginalized disabled immigrants are, even within immigration conversations. Their stories are too often erased or ignored, and that lack of visibility only makes them more vulnerable to harm.