Former President Donald Trump is resolute in fulfilling a campaign promise to initiate what he calls “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” However, this pledge carries grave implications for millions of American families, comprising both citizens and noncitizens, potentially facing separation.

Out of the 130 million households in the United States, approximately 5.6 million, or 1 in 25, include undocumented immigrants, as per data from the Pew Research Center provided to NBC News.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump reiterated his commitment to expel individuals lacking legal authorization to reside in the country. He outlined plans to employ the National Guard, local law enforcement, and, if necessary, the military to compel immigrants to return to their purported countries of origin.

While Trump frequently highlights migrants recently crossing the U.S. border, many undocumented immigrants have longstanding ties to the country. Targeting them would have far-reaching ramifications across American society.

Consider the following statistics:

• Roughly 20 million individuals reside in households with mixed immigration statuses. This includes approximately 10.3 million undocumented immigrants and 9.7 million others, comprising citizens or immigrants with some form of legal permission to reside in the U.S.
• The majority of undocumented immigrants have been in the country for an average of 16 years, with state-specific averages varying; notably, in California, the average duration is 20.3 years.
• There are approximately 825,000 undocumented children aged 17 and younger residing in the U.S.
• Moreover, over 3.4 million undocumented immigrants in the country have children under 18 who are U.S.-born.
• A mass deportation operation would result in the removal of certain family members while leaving others behind, including millions of children or other relatives who are U.S.-born or have obtained citizenship through naturalization. Some individuals who are citizens could also face expulsion or be compelled to follow their families out of the country.