Mass deportation won't solve illegal immigration issue

The incoming Trump administration has repeatedly indicated its intent to deport large numbers of immigrants in the country illegally. The president-elect considers mass deportation to be a cornerstone of his electoral mandate, and all indications are that he intends to follow through on this commitment.

One would expect mass deportation to be successful in dramatically reducing the numbers of immigrants living in the United States illegally. But if past is prologue, this seeming victory will be short-lived.