President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday his plan to declare a national emergency on border security and employ the US military for a mass deportation of undocumented migrants. During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to deport millions and secure the border with Mexico after increased illegal crossings during President Joe Biden’s term.
Trump reiterated his intent on Truth Social, endorsing a statement by a conservative activist about utilizing military assets to carry out deportations. “True!” Trump commented on the post.
After defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on November 5, Trump has been appointing immigration hardliners to his cabinet. He named former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting chief Tom Homan his “border czar.” At the Republican National Convention in July, Homan warned undocumented immigrants, “You better start packing now.”
Trump confirms he is prepared to declare a national emergency and use military assets to carry out his mass deportation pledge. pic.twitter.com/GCndVCXxSX
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 18, 2024Currently, an estimated 11 million people live in the U.S. illegally. Trump’s deportation strategy is poised to affect approximately 20 million families. While the U.S. has long faced challenges managing its southern border, Trump has intensified the discourse by labelling the migrant influx as an “invasion,” claiming they pose severe threats to public safety.
The reports are true
Donald Trump confirms he will declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military to carry out mass deportations pic.twitter.com/qCesnLHPOw
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) November 18, 2024During his campaign, Trump frequently used harsh rhetoric against undocumented immigrants and promised to expedite deportations by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law critics argue is outdated and was last used during World War II to detain Japanese-Americans unjustly.
As of now, the number of U.S. Border Patrol encounters with migrants has returned to levels seen in 2020, Trump’s last year in office, after reaching a record high in December 2023.
