A man and child were seen leaving the Annandale Immigration Court in Annandale, Va., amid efforts by the Trump administration to push immigrants out of the country by imposing financial pressures. This strategic approach aims to influence both undocumented and documented noncitizens to leave the United States.

Raquel Molina, an immigrant from El Salvador with a valid Social Security number, worked for nearly three decades at Boston’s Logan International Airport. She maintained cleanliness aboard airplanes, a critical role at $19.75 per hour. However, last summer, along with other long-term immigrant employees, she was terminated. Her supervisor informed her that she no longer had the necessary clearance to access secure areas at the airport, aligning with the administration’s shift in policy granting access only to U.S. citizens and more permanent residents.

Ms. Molina, who resides legally in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was shocked by the dismissal. TPS offers humanitarian protection for people from troubled regions, allowing them to stay until conditions improve in their home countries. “I didn’t understand what was going on,” she conveyed, reflecting on her dedicated career suddenly halted.

This dismissal is part of a broader and systematic approach by President Trump’s administration to alter the U.S. immigration landscape. Over the past year, officials have employed various bureaucratic measures to disconnect immigrants from employment, healthcare, financial services, and childcare. These efforts aim to encourage immigrant departure and discourage future immigration by removing perceived benefits.

The strategy highlights President Trump’s use of executive power and federal regulations to shape immigration policy independently from Congress. It aims to achieve immigration objectives through creative and less visible methods after earlier direct deportation raids led to strong political reactions.