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By Bernd Debusmann Jr and Mike Hills

Immigration has always been central to Donald Trump's message.

When he famously stepped onto the golden escalator at Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for his first presidential term in 2015, he accused Mexico for of sending drugs and crime north of the border - and it's been a constant rallying cry ever since.

Some of his first-term ambitions to stem the flow of would-be immigrants were constrained by the courts.

But restraints have been weaker in his second term, with a more accommodating Supreme Court and tens of billions of additional enforcement money from Congress.

Who should be allowed to live in the US remains a big issue on the minds of voters in the upcoming midterm elections, which are largely seen as a referendum on the Trump presidency.

He promised a closed border and mass deportations in his successful 2024 campaign - and few can deny that he's delivered on both.

But even among those who voted for a tougher stance,…