President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he intends to declare a national emergency on border security and deploy the U.S. military to carry out a large-scale deportation of undocumented migrants. Immigration has been a central issue throughout his campaign, with Trump vowing to expel millions of undocumented individuals and bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border, a region that saw a record influx of migrants during President Joe Biden’s administration.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump reiterated a statement made by conservative activist groups claiming that he is “prepared to declare a national emergency” and will use military resources to reverse what he has described as the “Biden invasion” through mass deportations. Trump echoed the sentiment, commenting “True!” alongside the post.
Trump’s announcement follows his successful return to the presidency after defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election. Since securing his victory, Trump has filled key positions in his administration with strong immigration hardliners, such as naming former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Tom Homan as his “border czar” and appointing South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security. Homan, who made a highly charged speech at the Republican National Convention in 2023, told supporters, “I’ve got a message for the millions of illegal immigrants Joe Biden has released into our country: You better start packing.”
With an estimated 11 million undocumented individuals living in the U.S., Trump’s mass deportation plan is expected to impact around 20 million families. While the U.S. government has long struggled with managing illegal border crossings, Trump has intensified the issue by labeling the influx of migrants as an “invasion,” warning that they pose grave threats to American citizens. His rhetoric has been a hallmark of his campaign, with the former president accusing undocumented immigrants of committing heinous crimes and spreading harmful ideologies, even as he distorts immigration statistics and policies to stoke fear.
Trump’s proposed crackdown includes invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law that allows for the expedited removal of individuals deemed to be a threat to national security. Critics argue that the law is outdated and recall its use during World War II when Japanese-Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps without due process—an event that remains a dark chapter in U.S. history. The specifics of how Trump will implement his mass deportation plan are still unclear, but he has repeatedly vowed to ramp up enforcement and speed up deportations, which he has said are necessary to protect American citizens from a growing migrant “threat.”
While encounters at the U.S. border have been a persistent issue for years, recent data shows that the number of border patrol encounters with migrants attempting to cross illegally from Mexico has surged, with figures in December 2023 reaching a peak of 250,000 encounters—a number reminiscent of the height of the crisis in 2020, Trump’s final year in office. This sharp rise in encounters has only further fueled Trump’s claims of a border “crisis,” even as many critics argue that his portrayal of the situation is exaggerated and fails to consider the complex socio-economic and political factors driving migration.
Trump’s immigration policy, characterized by inflammatory rhetoric and punitive measures, has earned widespread criticism from human rights groups and immigration advocates, who argue that his approach scapegoats vulnerable migrants and often relies on fearmongering. These critics also point to the damaging impacts of such policies on families and communities, particularly as they encourage hostility and division within American society.
The announcement of Trump’s mass deportation plan also highlights the growing political divide over immigration in the U.S., with Trump and his supporters framing the issue as a national security crisis, while opponents stress the need for a more humane, long-term solution that addresses the root causes of migration. In the coming months, as Trump prepares to take office once again, his proposed actions will undoubtedly spark fierce debate on immigration reform, national security, and the future of U.S. foreign policy in relation to its southern neighbor, Mexico.
With his aggressive stance on immigration, Trump’s plans for border security and deportation are set to reshape U.S. immigration policy once more, ushering in a new chapter of divisive rhetoric and contested measures that will likely define his second term in office. As the nation braces for his return to the White House, the debate over immigration, national security, and human rights is only set to intensify.
