6 things to know about Trump's 'border czar' Thomas Homan
Business InsiderNOV 11 2024
In a social media post Monday morning, US Pres.-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he plans to utilize a national emergency declaration and the military to conduct mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants.
The US military has historically helped with immigration enforcement, but usually just in a logistical capacity for border security. Trump is reportedly expected to face both legal and budgetary obstacles in pursuit of his plans.
Trump has previously suggested using the 18th century Alien Enemies Act, which allows the military to deport those over 14 who come from countries the US is at war with, but the US is not currently at war with anyone officially.
The American people, as well as legal immigrants, have nothing to fear concerning this policy. After staggering amounts of illegal immigrants have poured into the country, the only way Trump can get rid of them is with the help of the military. Instead of calling him racist for enforcing immigration law, Trump's critics should spend some time thinking about the victims of criminal aliens and how Trump is seeking to prevent those crimes from ever being committed again.
Trump's deportation plan is both implausible and economically harmful. With an estimated 11M undocumented immigrants in the country, it would cost tens of billions of dollars per year over ten years, not to mention the legal backlogs. It would also destroy working class towns where immigrants take the jobs that native-born workers often reject. Removing this labor force risks business closures, job losses, and regional economic decline.