Trump confirms plan to use military for mass deportation

AFP | Washington

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

President- elect Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that he plans to declare a national emergency on border security and use the US military to carry out a mass deportation of undocumented migrants. Immigration was a top issue in the election campaign, and Trump has promised to deport millions and stabilize the border with Mexico after record numbers of migrants crossed illegally during President Joe Biden's administration.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump amplified a recent post by a conservative activist that said 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 sealed a remarkable comeback to the presidency in his November 5 defeat of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

He has been announcing a cabinet featuring immigration hardliners, naming former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting chief Tom Homan as his "border czar." Homan appeared at the Republican National Convention in July, telling supporters: "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 some 11 million people are living in the United States illegally. Trump's deportation plan is expected directly to impact around 20 million families. While the US government has struggled for years to manage its southern border with Mexico, Trump has super-charged concerns by claiming an "invasion" is underway by migrants he says will rape and murder Americans.