Trump confirms plans to use military for mass deportations: 'Incredibly fearful'
President-elect Donald Trump is confirming reports that he would declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military to carry out his plans for mass deportation.
On Truth Social, Trump said a report is "TRUE!!!" that he would be using the full resources of the federal government, including declaring a national emergency and deploying the U.S. military, to make good on plans to increase deportations of illegal immigrants.
"I support President Trump's desire to prioritize the removal of people in this country who are here illegally and committing crimes," said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. "He needs to use whatever means necessary to keep this country safe, to secure our borders and deport those who are reeking havoc and committing crimes in our cities."
Meanwhile, Trump's promised policies of mass deportation are spreading fear among millions of undocumented people living in the United States, whether it's new asylum seekers or dreamers who've been in the country for decades.
"Folks with status and folks without status are incredibly fearful right now," said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. "It's unfortunate that we continue to hear from President-elect Trump on his dangerous views around separating families across not just the city and the state, but across this country and trying to utilize our military to do so."
The incoming Trump administration has provided very few details on how a mass deportation using the military would work, but Trump officials said they plan to prioritize deporting those who pose a risk to public safety.
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"With all great respect to our military and National Guard, they're not trained on who is in status, who has temporary status, who is a citizen," said Lenni Benson, the Distinguished Chair of Immigration and Human Rights Law at New York Law School. "You really just can't deport people unless you find people and process them for a return flight. So, can the president do it? As an academic and as a lawyer, if he doesn't dot his I's and cross his T's, people will sue and say this is an abuse of executive power."
Multiple immigration advocacy groups are threatening legal action to prevent mass deportation.
"I think in this moment what we need to be focused on is actually delivering for all people who call this country home and the number one issue, across the exit polls that happened after Election Day, was not that he had a mandate on mass deportation, he had a mandate to actually resolve the affordability crisis," Awawdeh said.