President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to use the US military to execute a mass deportation of undocumented migrants.
The declaration, shared on his Truth Social platform this week, confirmed his intention to declare a national emergency and mobilise military assets for the effort. Responding to a conservative commentator’s claim about the plan, Trump posted, “TRUE!!!”
The move aligns with his campaign pledges to involve the National Guard in assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with deportations.
The announcement has sparked questions about the feasibility of what would be the largest mass deportation in US history. Trump has repeatedly stated that deportations will begin on January 20, 2025, his first day in office.
However, experts remain skeptical about the logistical and legal challenges of such an operation. ICE’s 20,000 personnel are unlikely to be sufficient to locate and deport millions of undocumented migrants, and the financial costs would be significant.
Trump has named loyal allies to key immigration posts, including Kristi Noem as his pick for Secretary of Homeland Security and former ICE chief Tom Homan as his “border tsar.” Homan revealed plans to finalise the strategy this week, including discussions about involving the Department of Defence to accelerate deportations.
Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have already initiated legal challenges. The group recently sued ICE for details on the plan and vowed to continue opposing mass deportations in court.
Under Trump’s first term, 1.5 million people were deported, a number Biden’s administration is on pace to match, according to recent statistics.
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