President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that he plans to deploy the U.S. military to assist in mass deportations of undocumented immigrants as part of his first 100 days in office.
Trump made the announcement Monday on Truth Social, responding to a post by conservative activist Tom Fitton, who had shared details of the incoming administration’s preparations. In a brief statement, Trump wrote “TRUE!!!” to affirm Fitton’s claim that the military would be mobilized for deportation efforts.
The move signals a dramatic escalation in Trump’s hardline stance on immigration and his plan to follow through on a central promise of his campaign: to aggressively remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the country. The president-elect is expected to declare a national emergency on his first day in office, a tactic he has used in the past to bypass legal hurdles and expedite policy changes.
Trump’s team is already working on crafting executive orders aimed at circumventing potential legal challenges from immigration advocates, who successfully blocked many of Trump’s earlier policies, including the 2017 Muslim travel ban. One major component of his plan would end the visa-free parole program for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—furthering his administration’s crackdown on so-called “illegal aliens.”
Don't Miss
However, experts warn of significant logistical challenges ahead. The mass deportation effort would require expanded capacity in detention centers, as well as solutions for the immigration court backlog, which has become a longstanding issue. There are also concerns over the human cost of such aggressive enforcement policies.
Trump’s proposed deportation plan also includes the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a law passed in 1798 that grants the president the authority to deport noncitizens from countries with which the U.S. is at war. Although it has rarely been invoked, Trump has suggested it could be a tool for targeting immigrants from nations he deems threats to national security.
His cabinet picks signal a continued hardline approach to immigration. Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Thomas Homan is expected to take the role of “border czar,” overseeing the effort to reduce illegal immigration and deport those already in the country. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security, where she is expected to focus on securing the border and implementing stricter immigration controls.
In his campaign, Trump vowed to use every federal and state resource available to carry out what he called the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history, targeting criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers. With the confirmation of military involvement, the scale and severity of his plans have now become clearer.
As Trump prepares to take office, the nation braces for what is likely to be one of the most controversial and consequential immigration crackdowns in modern U.S. history.
