The thousands of troops Mr Trump has stationed at the border may also act as a deterrent. Immigrant advocates in El Paso say that would-be migrants are taking a “wait and see” approach to the new administration. Illegal crossings could eventually tick up as coyotes discover new, and perhaps more dangerous, smuggling routes.

Trump’s deportations have created a clash between the rule of law and due process, and his assertions of presidential power and resistance to challenges by federal judges.