President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he plans to declare a national emergency on border security and utilize the U.S. military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants.
Immigration was a central issue in Trump’s election campaign, and he has promised to deport millions of migrants while stabilizing the U.S.-Mexico border following record numbers of illegal crossings during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Trump made this announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, amplifying a recent post by conservative activist Tom Fitton.
Fitton had stated that the president-elect was “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”
Alongside the repost, Trump commented, “True!”
Trump’s election victory on November 5 marked a remarkable comeback to the presidency. Since then, he has been assembling a cabinet featuring immigration hardliners, including former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting chief Tom Homan, whom he has appointed as his “border czar.”
Homan made headlines earlier this year when he appeared at the Republican National Convention, stating, “I got a message to the millions of illegal immigrants that Joe Biden’s released in our country: You better start packing now.”
Authorities estimate that about 11 million people are living in the U.S. illegally, and Trump’s deportation plan is expected to directly affect around 20 million families.
While the U.S. government has struggled for years to manage its southern border with Mexico, Trump has intensified concerns by describing the influx of migrants as an “invasion” and claiming that migrants are responsible for violent crimes.
Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly used inflammatory rhetoric about undocumented immigrants, alleging that they “poison the blood” of the United States and misleading his audience on immigration statistics and policy.
While Trump has not elaborated in detail on his immigration crackdown, he has repeatedly promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations.
Critics, however, argue that the law is outdated, citing its controversial use during World War II to hold Japanese-Americans in internment camps without due process.
READ ALSO: Trump Appoints Tom Homan as “Border Czar” Immigration Official
The number of U.S. Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing illegally from Mexico has now returned to levels seen in 2020, the final year of Trump’s first term, following a record 250,000 encounters in December 2023.
Despite this, Trump has remained steadfast in his commitment to deport undocumented migrants.
Trump’s repost of Tom Fitton’s social media message confirms his plan to declare a national emergency and use military assets to carry out mass deportations.
The plan is said to involve military forces to remove undocumented individuals from the country, a move that Trump has discussed throughout his campaign but has not detailed in full.
In addition to his mass deportation program, Trump has said that he will prioritize targeting undocumented migrants with criminal backgrounds. He has promised the “largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America.”
In 2019, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border through executive order to bypass Congress, which had rejected funding for his border wall. He vetoed Congress’ attempts to end the emergency, which required a two-thirds majority to override his veto.
Presidents have the authority to declare national emergencies under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, which grants the president broad discretion in determining what constitutes an emergency, activating additional powers under hundreds of federal laws.
National emergencies expire within a year unless reauthorized by the president, and dozens of such emergencies remain in effect, including one declared by former President George W. Bush following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that approximately 11 million undocumented individuals live in the U.S. This figure suggests that Trump’s mass deportation plan may face significant logistical challenges.
Trump’s broader immigration plans, detailed on his campaign website under “Agenda47,” include increasing deportations, reinstating a “travel ban” for certain countries, cutting federal funding to sanctuary cities, and closing the border to asylum seekers.
Additionally, Trump has stated that he will use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport undocumented immigrants from countries the U.S. is at war with.
He has also indicated that the military or National Guard may play a role in his plans, with Trump aide Stephen Miller suggesting the construction of large-scale camps to detain people slated for deportation.
Trump has also called for the end of birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants, a move many legal experts argue is prohibited by the 14th Amendment.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Trump’s pick for Department of Homeland Security Secretary, and Tom Homan, his new “border czar,” are expected to play central roles in shaping Trump’s immigration policies.
