Plan by Trump Administration Aims to Deport ‘Nearly 20 Million’ Illegal Immigrants

Former President Donald Trump has promised to initiate the “largest mass deportation effort” in American history if elected in November.

“For an operation of that scale,” Time Magazine reported after an interview with the former president, “Trump stated that he would primarily rely on the National Guard to round up and remove undocumented immigrants across the country. ‘If they were unable to do so, then I would utilize [other parts of] the military,’ he mentioned. When questioned about potentially overriding the Posse Comitatus Act — a law from 1878 that prohibits the use of military force on civilians — Trump appeared unconcerned about the statute.”

As per the New York Post, the Trump campaign has not specified the resources that would be deployed to detain and deport “nearly 20 million” undocumented migrants currently staying in the U.S.

Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed the Post that executing an operation of that magnitude would probably necessitate involvement from the State Department and funding from Congress.

The director of research at NumbersUSA, Eric Ruark, told the Post that the “estimate” of 20 million illegal residents in the U.S. may not be far from reality.

“There are probably between 15 [million] and 20 million, considering the number of individuals who have entered,” Ruark mentioned, while acknowledging the official estimate of 11 million from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE under Trump, stated that the agency has effective systems for identifying individuals, but the availability of resources remains a critical factor in deportation processes.

“A significant portion of that responsibility falls on Congress … We require officers, detention beds, transportation contracts … because there would be more flights departing the country and more bus deportations to the border,” Homan highlighted. “We would still prioritize criminals and national security threats; they pose the greatest danger to the nation. However, I would say no one is exempt. If you are residing illegally in this country, … then you will be deported.”