Trump to use military force for mass deportation of migrants
3 Min Read
Donald Trump has announced that a national emergency on border security would be declared to kickstart the mass deportation process of undocumented migrants from the US.
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President-elect Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, on Saturday, November 16, 2024, in New York, followed by Dana White. (AP)
President-elect Donald Trump plans to announce a national emergency on border security and enforce military efforts to mass deport undocumented migrants out of the country.
Immigration was a central topic in Trump's election campaign, with the incoming president vowing to deport millions of people and secure the US-Mexico border, which saw record numbers of illegal crossings during President Joe Biden's time in office.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump shared a post by a conservative activist that claimed the president-elect was "ready to declare a national emergency and use military resources to counter the Biden administration's border crisis through a large-scale deportation effort." Trump confirmed the claim, simply replying with "True!"
Trump has been introducing an administration that includes strong immigration hardliners, appointing former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting chief Tom Homan as his "border czar".
The 78-year-old Republican businessman has promised to initiate the largest deportation effort in US history starting on his first day in office, targeting undocumented immigrants.
"I am pleased to announce that the Former ICE Director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation's Borders ("The Border Czar")," Trump posted on his social network Truth Social.
"I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders," he said, adding that Homan will be in charge of "all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin."
Homan, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, warned, "I have a message for the millions of illegal immigrants that Joe Biden has let into our country: You better start packing now."
Read more: Trump vows to penalize future administrations over illegal migration
Authorities estimate that around 11 million undocumented people are living in the US, and Trump's deportation plan is expected to affect approximately 20 million families.
While the US government has faced ongoing challenges in managing its southern border, Trump has intensified fears by describing the migrant flow as an "invasion" and claiming that migrants pose a threat to Americans' safety, accusing them of violence and crime.
Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly attacked undocumented immigrants, using inflammatory language and distorting immigration statistics to stir up fear.
Although Trump has not provided many details on his proposed immigration crackdown, he has frequently promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to accelerate deportations. Critics argue that the law is outdated and point to its controversial use during World War II to justify the internment of Japanese Americans without due process.
As of now, the number of encounters between US border patrol agents and migrants crossing illegally from Mexico has returned to levels similar to those in 2020, the final year of Trump's first term, after reaching a record high of 250,000 in December 2023.
