President-elect Donald Trump again said he plans to use the U.S. military to deport undocumented migrants.
What happened: Trump commented "TRUE!!!" on his Truth Social social media platform in response to a post by conservative activist Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch that said the president-elect's incoming administration is "prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse [illegal migration under President Biden] through a mass deportation program."
Comments and context: Trump has previously pledged to direct National Guard units to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which handles deportations. The Posse Comitatus Act limits federal powers to use the military for domestic law enforcement, but that only applies to the National Guard if the federal government takes authority. Advocates of Trump's approach say the military would most likely be used in a logistical support role while ICE carries out the actual deportations. It is unclear what mechanism constituting a "national emergency" Trump could look to.
Big picture: Tom Homan, who Trump has appointed as his "border czar," said he is finalizing details to ramp up arrests and deportations with an initial focus on criminals and national security threats. But it is unclear how the Trump Administration plans to carry through with deportations on a mass scale and what resources it would entail; Trump recently said there was "no price tag" that would deter him.
