On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump announced that his administration will declare a national emergency and utilize military assets to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Trump shared a brief post on his own ‘Truth’ Social platform, where he was replying to a claim made by Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, about the incoming administration’s immigration plans.
Fitton wrote on November 8 that reports indicated the Trump administration was “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets” to enforce mass deportations.
Trump replied simply: “True!!!”
Trump with this statement has shown his intent to deliver on his campaign promise to conduct what he called the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history.
Targeting Illegal Immigrants
Tom Homan, the incoming “border czar” and former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), outlined elements of the plan in recent public statements. He emphasized that initial efforts will prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
“We will prioritize public safety and national security, targeting 425,000 illegal immigrants with criminal histories,” Homan said during a podcast interview. “Federal law trumps state law every single time.”
Homan also indicated that families would not be separated, saying, “Families can be deported together.” He added that immigrants will be given due process in court but must leave if they lose their cases.
An analysis by the American Immigration Council estimated that increasing deportations to one million people per year, four times the current rate, would cost nearly $1 trillion over a decade, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Trump has also proposed invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used law allowing for the deportation of citizens from “enemy nations.” Legal experts, however, argue the law cannot be applied to the current situation.
During his first term, Trump declared a national emergency in 2019 to redirect military funds for constructing a border wall. Some speculate he may use a similar approach to fund deportation efforts.
Immigration-Trump’s main concern
Immigration was a central issue in Trump’s successful 2024 campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. His administration’s hardline approach has already sparked backlash from Democratic-led states like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, where governors have vowed to resist federal mass deportation efforts.
Trump has maintained his rhetoric on immigration, referring to the situation at the southern border as an “invasion” and accusing undocumented immigrants of undermining public safety. “All this crap ends on January 20,” Homan declared, referring to the day of Trump’s inauguration.
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