President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed plans to declare a national emergency to address border security and implement a large-scale deportation initiative targeting undocumented immigrants.
Immigration, a central focus of Trump’s campaign, is set to dominate his second term. He has pledged to deport millions of undocumented individuals and secure the U.S.-Mexico border, citing what he described as a surge in illegal crossings under President Joe Biden.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump shared a post from a conservative activist claiming he was “ready to declare a national emergency and deploy military resources to reverse Biden’s immigration policies through mass deportation.” Trump affirmed the statement with a simple response: “True!”
The announcement follows Trump’s November 5 election victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. He has begun assembling his administration, naming immigration hardliner Tom Homan as “border czar.” Homan, a former acting chief of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has long advocated for stricter immigration enforcement and recently warned undocumented migrants to “start packing now.”
The proposed plan could impact millions of families. An estimated 11 million undocumented individuals currently reside in the U.S., with Trump’s policies expected to have ripple effects on over 20 million people indirectly.
Trump’s rhetoric during his campaign heightened concerns, as he frequently described an “invasion” of migrants and claimed undocumented individuals posed a societal threat. He also signaled plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a controversial measure critics argue is outdated and reminiscent of historical policies like Japanese-American internment during World War II.
Although full details of Trump’s immigration agenda remain unclear, he has vowed swift action. His plans come as border patrol encounters stabilize at levels comparable to 2020, after peaking at 250,000 in December 2023—the highest monthly figure on record.
As Trump continues to shape his cabinet, his hardline immigration stance underscores that border policy will remain a cornerstone of his administration, reigniting debates over how to handle America’s immigration challenges effectively and humanely.