Donald Trump said on Monday that he wanted to declare a state of national emergency to implement his plan for mass expulsions of migrants, and confirmed that he intended to use the armed forces in this regard.
“Good news: There are reports that the incoming Donald Trump administration is prepared to declare a national emergency and use military resources to fight the (President Joe) Biden invasion through a mass deportation program,” Tom Fitton, director of the conservative organization Judicial Watch, wrote on the president-elect’s Truth Social platform.
A publication to which the Republican billionaire simply responded on the same social network: “It’s true!”
The United States has more than 11 million illegal immigrants, according to estimates, and human rights associations are concerned about the ravages of the Republican’s project on this population and on the rule of law.
A host of economists have also warned that in addition to the staggering cost of such a program, sending back millions of migrant workers would have an immeasurable impact on the U.S. economy, which is already experiencing a labor shortage.
Donald Trump declared in April that the National Guard, a military body dependent on the American states, “should be capable” of taking care of expulsions.
“If that’s not the case, I would use the army,” meaning federal troops, he told Time.
The Constitution allows the president to declare a “national emergency” in exceptional situations. During his first term, Donald Trump implemented this provision “concerning the southern border” of the United States, in order to allocate an $8 billion budget to build a wall on the border with Mexico.
Building on his victory on November 5 and before taking office on January 20, Donald Trump has already signaled his desire to act quickly on this subject, notably designating three hard-liners on immigration to key positions.
Tom Homan, former director of the immigration control agency (ICE) during Trump’s first term, has this time been named “border czar”, an ad hoc position with still unclear contours and responsibilities.
Between 2017 and 2018, he oversaw a policy that was as brief as it was controversial, leading to the separation of 4,000 migrant children from their parents placed in detention.
“If you are here illegally, you better watch your back,” the former police officer said in July.
