Donald Trump’s upcoming administration is gearing up for “targeted operations” to deport illegal migrants starting from day one of his second presidency.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the president-elect has plans to deport around 20 million undocumented individuals from the U.S. and close the border to Mexico.
Tom Homan, the former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Trump’s first term, claimed no undocumented migrant would be exempt from potential deportation.
He outlined the focus on deporting the “worst of the worst” offenders and tightening border security through measures like shutting down the U.S. southern border, wall construction, and restarting the “Remain in Mexico” program.
Homan said: “People say, well, it sounds awful cruel, you want to remove millions.
“Let me say this. You have a historic illegal immigration crisis where you have numbers we’ve never seen before, in the millions and millions, of illegal aliens released in this country (and) we know the vast majority will not get asylum, so they don’t qualify.”
The former head of ICE proposed using the U.S. military to aid in transportation, infrastructure building, and facilitating deportations. While the military wouldn’t have arrest powers, they could assist in holding facilities and logistics to support the rising number of deportees.
Trump has openly spoken about immigrants “poisoning the blood” of the country and has floated the idea of invoking the Alien Enemies Act, an over 200-year-old law which allows the president to deport non-citizens who come from a country the U.S. is at war with.
The economic ramifications of deporting 20 million individuals could be substantial, affecting specific sectors like agriculture.
Potential challenges in international cooperation were also addressed, emphasizing the need for third-country agreements for processing asylum applications.
Countries refusing to take back deportees could face consequences under Trump’s administration, including tariffs and aid removal.
In his interview with The Sunday Times, Homan stressed the importance of strong presidential action to compel compliance and reduce crime rates and illegal immigration.
Voters across the political spectrum have identified securing the border as a top priority through exit polls on Election Day. However, as the Trump administration prepares to roll out its mass deportation program, the immense scale and potential consequences of this operation are generating widespread concern and scrutiny.