Donald Trump has pledged to initiate what he calls the “largest mass deportation effort” in American history if he secures another term in office next year, targeting millions of undocumented migrants across the nation. The former president has frequently emphasized his deportation agenda, recently suggesting in an interview with TIME Magazine that he would mobilize local law enforcement, the National Guard, and even the military to execute his plan, drawing parallels to the broad sweeps of “Operation Wetback” during Dwight Eisenhower’s administration, which expelled over 1 million migrants in 1954.
Despite the ambitious rhetoric from the Trump 2024 campaign, details regarding the resources required to locate, detain, and deport the purported “nearly 20 million” undocumented migrants currently residing in the U.S. remain unspecified. Executing such a vast operation would demand a significant expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), collaboration with the State Department, and increased funding from Congress, according to former ICE officials interviewed by The Post.
Eric Ruark, director of research at NumbersUSA, deemed the Trump campaign’s estimate of 20 million undocumented migrants as “not unreasonable,” citing the fluctuating influx of migrants under the Biden administration, contrasting with the U.S. Census Bureau’s official estimate of 11 million. Former ICE Acting Director Tom Homan emphasized the agency’s proficient systems for identifying individuals but stressed the importance of adequate resources in expediting deportations, highlighting the need for congressional support to bolster staffing, detention capacity, and transportation logistics.
Homan reiterated the prioritization of removing criminals and national security threats but asserted that no undocumented individual would be exempt from potential deportation proceedings. In response to inquiries about a potential return to service under a second Trump term, Homan expressed willingness, contingent upon an offer. Former ICE Chief of Staff Jon Feere underscored the need for increased staffing and detention infrastructure within ICE, which he believed a Trump administration would advocate for, emphasizing the potential for widespread enforcement operations targeting workplaces across various jurisdictions.
Feere highlighted the necessity of a comprehensive governmental approach involving multiple agencies with immigration-related responsibilities, advocating for collaboration from entities such as Health and Human Services, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Regarding the challenge of repatriating migrants whose home countries refuse re-entry, Feere proposed leveraging Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose visa sanctions as a means to compel cooperation from non-compliant nations.
Feere also addressed the issue of sanctuary cities, expressing ICE’s preference for cooperation with local law enforcement but warning of heightened enforcement activities in communities that opt for non-compliance. In conclusion, while a prospective Trump administration could encounter obstacles, including funding hurdles and diplomatic challenges, in executing its deportation agenda, former officials underscored the potential for assertive enforcement measures and the importance of interagency collaboration in achieving desired outcomes.
{Matzav.com}
