Professor Johnson Talks to NPR About Trump's Deportation Plans

Reporter Jasmine Garsd interviewed Professor Kevin Johnson for a Nov. 1 Morning Edition news segment on former President Donald Trump’s plans to use law enforcement to implement his plans for mass deportation of immigrants if he is re-elected to the White House.

Garsd’s report explored the feasibility of using local law enforcement in such a manner. Johnson pointed out that Trump, as president in 2017, tried to withdraw federal funding unless local law enforcement complied with his deportation plans. Even though this effort was declared unconstitutional, it sparked fear in immigrants and mixed-status American families.

“The noise is as painful as the policy,” Johnson said. “And the policy – sometimes things stick.”

Kevin R. Johnson is a distinguished professor of law, Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law, and Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law. Johnson also has an appointment as professor of Chicana/o studies at UC Davis. He served as dean of UC Davis Law from 2008 to 2024. Johnson is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of immigration law and policy, refugee law, and civil rights.