Donald Trump recently made headlines by suggesting he might deport Elon Musk. But what does that really mean? Musk and Trump once collaborated on government efficiency projects, but now their relationship seems strained.
When asked about deporting Musk, Trump said he would consider it and warned Musk could lose more than just an electric vehicle mandate. Musk responded with a vague social media post, hinting at escalation but not acting on it.
Musk, born in South Africa, came to the U.S. in the 1990s on exchange and work visas before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2002. To become naturalized, one must have a green card and live in the U.S. continuously for several years.
While naturalized citizens enjoy the same protections as native-born citizens, they can lose citizenship if convicted of serious crimes or if their citizenship was obtained fraudulently. However, legal experts say such cases are very rare.
Michael Kagan, a law professor, told AlJazeera that Trump’s threat is likely political rhetoric rather than a genuine legal move. Musk’s deportation is highly unlikely without strong evidence of wrongdoing.
