Last week, we asked four Republican senators about a cost ceiling for funding Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. The GOP controlled House (which has the power of the purse in Congress) will surely rubber stamp any Trump-approved legislation that comes from the upper chamber. We didn’t get a chance to ask the new Minority Leader John Thune our questions about the senate’s role in Trump’s deportations, both in terms of funding them and protecting people from the inevitable excesses of their implementation. We’ll look to do that when they return next week from Thanksgiving break.

• Editor’s Note: This is the first solo byline for Nicolae Butler for Migrant Insider. Nico is an American writer from Romania. Follow Nico on Twitter if you haven’t already. — Pablo

Deportation Cost Analysis: No Clear Numbers

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) admitted that determining the full costs of deportation is “a really hard thing to do,” yet she called for a comprehensive review to fully understand the financial impact of the plan. While estimates peg the expense at $9,000-10,000 per expulsion, Lummis argued that a serious financial analysis is needed of the cost versus benefit of unauthorized migrants in the United States. Like many GOP Senators, she said the cost of not deporting migrants is actually higher than expelling them.

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) echoed Lummis’ concern, emphasizing that to have a meaningful conversation about costs, all factors need to be considered. “A lot of that cost is about how you go about doing it,” he said. They suggested focusing first on deporting the so-called “gotaways”—those who entered the U.S. undetected by authorities. “We should start there and check back,” he added.

Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) admitted that no one had thoroughly considered a cost-ceiling yet on Trump’s deportations. “I don’t know if anybody’s considered that,” he said, suggesting that Trump’s administration may not have set any financial limits, said Cramer, adding: “At least in Donald Trump’s mind, there’s no limit...the value would be worth it.”

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) wouldn’t comment on Trump’s deportation agenda. “I’m not going to comment on the...it’s got to work its way through the Senate when that vote comes,” he said. Trump nominated Rubio as his Secretary of State, one of the easier nominations for the GOP majority to confirm this winter.

None of the GOP senators asked had much to say about safeguards for protecting the humans who get caught up in the dragnet promised by Trump and his most-senior advisors in the West Wing. With no cost controls in Congress yet on mass deportations, and no real interest in reining in the inevitable excesses of Trump’s senior advisors, this could get really ugly, really quick.