Staff Reports
In a bold move that has raised eyebrows and stirred anticipation, Donald Trump is stepping up his rhetoric on immigration for his 2024 presidential campaign. Pledging to deport millions, he’s now talking specifics — like invoking wartime powers, working with sympathetic governors, and relying on the military. It’s reminiscent of a not-so-distant past when Trump was known for his tough stance on illegal immigration. But skeptics might recall that his track record during his presidency didn’t quite meet those grand promises.
While Trump aims for the moon, the reality of deporting an estimated 11 million undocumented individuals in the U.S. poses a herculean challenge. His administration’s deportation numbers were less than stellar, with a cap of around 350,000 in a year, far below the dizzying figures flaunted by his critics. In contrast, former President Obama significantly ramped up deportations to over 432,000 in just one year. It’s almost like Trump wants to be the wizard of mass removals but with only a wand made of red tape to shove through his plans.
Trump's goal of mass deportations fell short. But he has new plans for a second term https://t.co/T4S83nAjTQ
— CTV News (@CTVNews) September 22, 2024
In what could be regarded as a stroke of desperation or ingenuity, Trump has put forth the notion of leveraging the Alien Enemies Act, a dusty old law from 1798, to facilitate deportations. This legislation allows a president to remove noncitizens from countries the U.S. is at war with. While some legal analysts insist that this approach could circumvent some legal obstacles, one has to wonder if Trump would have better luck trying to summon a genie from a bottle. Not to mention, using the National Guard for enforcement raises eyebrows about the military’s role in what some may see as domestic governance gone wild.
This isn’t exactly new territory; the military has been patting the U.S.-Mexico border since the Bush era, primarily for non-law enforcement duties. However, past reliance on the National Guard to disperse protests in D.C. tells us that Trump’s administration has a flair for the dramatic. That said, many in the military seem less than enthusiastic about stepping into this political maelstrom, where soldiers’ duties could easily turn into a political hot potato.
While some cheer on Trump’s ambitious immigration plans, there are significant questions about the practicality of mass deportations. Not only could such actions rip apart families and destabilize local economies, but military leaders have their missions to accomplish that aren’t about anti-immigrant enforcement. A former official from the Obama administration went so far as to liken Trump’s deportation dream to a pie-in-the-sky fantasy, suggesting that, in reality, this vision would struggle to get off the ground even with military backing.
As the Trump campaign continues to lay out its vision, a clear narrative emerges a mix of bravado and befuddlement. Despite the lofty aspirations, practicalities loom large on the horizon. The reality of back-and-forth between state and federal authorities adds a level of complexity that could make Trump’s grand plans look more like a high-speed chase through a maze with no exit in sight.
