President-elect Trump on Monday recirculated social media posts suggesting the incoming administration would declare a national emergency on immigration and use military assets to support mass deportation pledges, calling the claims “true.” !”
At 4:03 a.m. on his Truth Social site, President Trump reposted a statement by Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative group that has been active both in courtrooms and on social media. He has spoken out on a number of culture war issues, including questions about sexuality. of the election.
“Good news: The report has arrived. @RealDonaldTrump “The administration is preparing to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse Biden's invasion through a mass deportation program,” Fitton wrote.
President Trump's one-word response confirmed this report.
Immigrant advocates are bracing for swift executive action against immigrants by the incoming administration, but questions remain about the potential legal, logistical and budgetary limits of a mass deportation plan.
The Department of Defense has actively supported border security missions through the National Guard for many years.
That assistance, typically limited to background logistics including communications and transportation, would allow more Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents to work directly with migrants.
President Trump and his aides have signaled increased military involvement in immigration enforcement both at the border and inland.
During the campaign, Trump promised deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.thA century-old law that allows for the immediate detention and deportation of aliens over the age of 14 from countries at war with the United States.
The United States has not officially declared war on any country since 1942.
However, the incoming Trump administration is attempting to initiate a deportation policy with extensive media coverage.
“I don't think we're talking about hundreds of thousands of people being arrested. Under the first Trump administration, we were never able to reach that capacity in a day or a week.” said a top immigration advocate during a background call with reporters on Friday.
“But they're going to be looking to increase their capabilities, and they're going to envision some sort of shock-and-awe effort where they're going to do raids. They're going to be looking to increase their profile. They They are trying to spread fear because it appeals to their constituency, but also because it is part of their strategy to force people to voluntarily leave the country.
Regardless of scope, efforts to expand detention and deportation systems, with or without military involvement, will face budgetary and logistical challenges.
Some Trump supporters see the expansion of the program as potentially allowing more transparency into when, where and how the administration carries out deportations.
“I believe in the president, whoever is the attorney general, whoever is the chief, the governor. [Kristi] noem [R-S.D.]Secretary of Homeland Security, and [incoming border czar] “Congressman Tom Homan is going to concisely outline a process that will let the people know what's going to happen, not just speculate,” Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) told The Hill on Friday.
“I think it's important to tell people what the plan is. As we remember, President Obama did a lot of deportations, but instead of telling people, we And I think the president needs to say more than “mass deportation,” and more than Tom Holman. “Here’s how we intend to go about this process.” Delegation? No, I don't think the only duty is to round up people and take them away. I think we need to effectively know what the plan is and follow that plan,” Sessions added.
