Arnold Schwarzenegger once joked about fearing deportation because of his accent, but for Latinos and people of color, that fear may soon become reality. Calls for the mass deportation of “suspected illegals” echo the darkest moments of American history.

During the Great Depression, over a million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were forcibly expelled from the U.S. under “Mexican Repatriation” laws. Shockingly, 40-60% were U.S. citizens. Similarly, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during World War II, losing homes, businesses, and family stability — all in the name of “national security.”

This pattern of targeting vulnerable groups resurfaces throughout history, whether it’s anti-Chinese sentiment in the 1800s or the current immigration rhetoric. Why does this keep happening? Human memory is fleeting, and too often, we elect leaders who ride into power on a wave of fear, bigotry, and ignorance.

But beyond humanitarian concerns, mass deportation would wreak havoc on the economy. Removing millions of workers from critical sectors like agriculture, construction, and hospitality could cripple those industries. The cost of such a program, estimated at $1 trillion over 10 years, would be astronomical, and the economic damage irreparable.

From a security perspective, mass deportations would sow anger and resentment, potentially driving the displaced into the hands of extremist groups, both abroad and domestically.

More than a breach of economic stability, deporting millions of people violates the very ideals America was built on: equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Family separations and community devastation would leave scars for generations. As a historian once noted, we seem to learn nothing from the past because we remember nothing. Perhaps it’s time to rename ourselves “The United States of Amnesia.”