From EVs and mass deportation to prices, 5 ways a Trump presidency could impact Michigan

As the nation anticipates President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House next year, there are a handful of policy issues the bombastic businessman championed on the campaign trail that stand poised to impact Michiganders.

Some have very specific ties to Michigan, like changes that could affect the Detroit Three and the U.S. auto industry. Others, like the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, will have a much broader impact across the country if implemented.

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To be clear: there is always a bit of prognostication involved in examining future policy moves. Congressional control is important to note as well -- Trump is poised to have a GOP-controlled U.S. Senate at his disposal, but the makeup of the U.S. House remains unknown as of Wednesday afternoon.

A Republican clean sweep of the executive and legislative branches would in theory clear a path for Trump to carry out more of his plans, although the trifecta frequently did not lead to policy wins for Trump during the first two years of his last tenure as president.

Still, the decisive Trump victory means Michiganders should expect changes on at least these issues.

Electric vehicles

For almost a decade at this point, Trump has promised to revitalize the U.S. auto industry. While this did not come to fruition during his first tenure, Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly seized on electric vehicle support from President Joe Biden, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others during their recent campaign.

Trump has a bit of a quixotic stance on EVs: he repeatedly champions mega-supporter Elon Musk, leader of EV giant Tesla, but consistently bashes any government actions that would support these vehicles. The Biden administration worked with U.S. auto companies to subsidize EV production and create tax subsidies for consumers, while Whitmer and Democrats in Michigan's legislature pushed large state subsidies as well.

It seems likely Trump will take aim at emissions standards, tax credits and other regulations that Republicans feel unfairly prioritized EV sales and production. Will federal and state subsidies for EVs continue under a Trump presidency? It's hard to say -- in Michigan, conservatives have both supported and opposed using tax dollars to create auto jobs.

A plant north of Big Rapids could be the face of any Trump administration changes on EVs. The Gotion, Inc. facility promises to create hundreds of jobs and invest billions in the community and economy. But it proved to be a lightning rod during the campaign, as conservatives both attacked incentives for the EV battery plant and the company's ties to China. There's a real chance a Trump administration tries to torpedo the project. But could voters see that as opposing creating new Michigan jobs? Time will tell.

Mass deportation

Trump has promised to carry out the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

Although the population of undocumented immigrants is difficult to track, multiple sources put the total number in the U.S. at somewhere between 10 million to 12 million people with an estimated 75,000 to 175,000 living in Michigan, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. While that's a relatively small portion of the national population, any sweeping effort to remove that many people from the state will have an obvious impact on a number of fronts.

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The Trump campaign suggests, without evidence, the mass deportation plan will alleviate affordable housing issues in the country. But the effort would likely have a negative impact on at least some employers: a 2019 Migration Policy Institute analysis suggests 56,000 undocumented immigrants work in Michigan, many in manufacturing, construction and agricultural jobs.

Far beyond the impact on the economy or housing markets, the act of government officials separating families by deporting children, parents or other loved ones would have an immeasurable impact on a community.

Prices and inflation

Perhaps no other issue propelled Trump to the White House again more than prices on consumer goods. Consistently, voters expressed anger at the increased cost of groceries, clothing, housing and more exacerbated in many ways by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Biden administration's response.

To some degree, Trump is walking into a good trajectory: while inflation skyrocketed following multiple rounds of stimulus checks ? two during the Trump administration, one under Biden ? and due to many other factors during the pandemic, inflation has essentially returned to pre-pandemic levels in recent months. Prices in certain sectors remain high, but wages are also up overall, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Yet Trump has offered at least two marquee proposals that he thinks will have a big impact on the cost of goods: big tariffs and no taxes on tips.

Trump says imposing tariffs on imported goods will eventually help U.S. businesses and consumers by in theory driving down the demand for some foreign goods. That plan is refuted by a slew of economists, who note U.S. businesses and consumers actually pay the increased cost associated with these tariffs, not the manufacturers in other countries.

And no taxes on tips would leave more money in people's pockets, in theory meaning tipped workers would be slower to feel increased costs.

Foreign policy

Two foreign conflicts played a huge role in Michigan's presidential election: the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Many in the state's sizeable Arab-American population decried the Biden administration's sustained support for Israel and its war against Hamas. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have already been killed, and many in Michigan felt Biden ? and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris ? did not do enough to prevent further attacks by Israel.

Trump called for an end to the war during this campaign. But he has repeatedly expressed support for Israel, both before and after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that spurred the ongoing war. He also instituted a "Muslim ban" during his last presidency, signing an executive order that banned anyone from six majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S.

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Trump also repeatedly said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were president. It's likely a GOP-controlled Congress could end if not limit the ongoing financial support for Ukraine that Biden and his administration deemed vital in a global effort to push back against Putin's aggression.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act

This became something of a running joke during Trump's first presidency, with the GOP-controlled U.S. House voting to repeal the Obama-era health care plan more than 50 times only for efforts to die in the U.S. Senate.

But now, Republican majorities in both chambers could spell changes for the generally popular health care program. What exactly may change is unclear: during one of the 2024 presidential debates, Trump said he had the "concept of a plan" to replace the act.

As of 2023, federal data shows more than 1.3 million Michiganders have health care through the Affordable Care Act. Before its implementation, many with few means or costly pre-existing health conditions struggled to maintain coverage. The act also allows children to stay on a parent's plan until they are 26.

(This story was updated to correct an inaccuracy.) 

Editor's note: This story has been changed to reflect that stimulus checks came under both the Trump and Biden presidencies.

Reach Dave Boucher at [email protected] and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump winning election may impact Michigan: EVs, deportations and more