Former President Donald Trump vowed to deliver the "largest mass deportation effort" in American history if elected in November.
"For an operation of that scale," Time Magazine wrote following an interview with the 45th president, "Trump says he would rely mostly on the National Guard to round up and remove undocumented migrants throughout the country. 'If they weren't able to, then I'd use [other parts of] the military,' he says. When I ask if that means he would override the Posse Comitatus Act — an 1878 law that prohibits the use of military force on civilians — Trump seems unmoved by the weight of the statute."
The Trump campaign, according to the New York Post, has not detailed what resources would be deployed to detain and deport "nearly 20 million" illegal migrants currently residing in the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told the Post that carrying out an operation of that scale would likely require the State Department's involvement and funding from Congress.
Regarding the Trump campaign's claim of 20 million illegals living in the U.S., the "estimate" may not be far off, director of research at NumbersUSA, Eric Ruark, told the Post.
"There's probably between 15 [million] and 20 million, given the number of people we've seen coming over," Ruark said while noting the official estimate of 11 million from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE under Trump, said the agency has "systems in place that are very good at identifying people." However, he added, the availability of resources is a looming question when it comes to deporting people.
"A lot of that is going to be up to Congress ... We need officers, we need detention beds, we need transportation contracts ... because [we would have] more flights heading out of the country and more bus removals down to the border," Homan said. "We would still prioritize criminals and national security threats first; they are the most dangerous for the country. But I would say no one is off the table. If you're in this country illegally, ... then we'll remove you."
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment