washington
CNN
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The incoming Trump administration’s plans to implement strict border measures, reverse Biden administration-era policies and begin large-scale immigration detention and deportations are underway, according to four sources familiar with the plans. , is starting to become a focus.
President-elect Donald Trump has made immigration a central element of his 2024 presidential campaign, but unlike his first candidacy, which focused primarily on building a border wall, he has focused on domestic enforcement and immigration already in the United States. We are focusing on eliminating illegal immigrants. state.
The president and those close to his inner circle are laying the groundwork for expanding detention facilities, including rethinking the metropolitan areas where capacity exists, to fulfill his campaign promise of mass deportations. But they are also preparing an executive action calling for Trump to return for his first term, which could be implemented as soon as Trump takes office, the people said.
Taken together, this represents a return to the hard-line immigration policies that drew fierce criticism from Democrats and immigrant advocates during President Trump’s first term, and represents a dramatic shift for immigrants and migrants in the United States.
Ongoing executive actions and reviews include reinstating a program known informally as “Remain in Mexico,” reinstating a program that requires immigrants to remain in Mexico during their U.S. immigration proceedings, reviewing asylum restrictions, and Biden This includes revoking protection for immigrants who are eligible for humanitarian parole programs. It would rescind ICE’s enforcement priorities, according to two sources briefed on the transition policy discussions.
Another executive order being considered would require mandatory detention and a moratorium on immigrant releases, but such actions are often passed between administrations because of limited federal resources. Sources say it is this kind of executive order that paves the way for large-scale detentions and, ultimately, deportations.
Mr. Trump’s team is also reviewing the region’s capacity to accommodate migrants, a process that will likely lead to consideration of building new detention facilities in metropolitan areas, two people familiar with the matter said. Homeland Security officials had previously identified multiple cities to increase capacity in case of a border surge.
The plan also includes reinstating family detention, a practice widely criticized by immigration advocates and abolished by President Joe Biden.
“The American people re-elected President Trump by a wide margin and gave him a mandate to deliver on the promises he made during his campaign. He will deliver,” Trump Vance transition spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt told CNN. said in a statement.
But the key to any plan is money. In the absence of additional Congressional funding, those working on the plan cite reprogramming agency funding to shore up resources, as previous administrations have done.
But they are also evaluating the possibility of declaring a national emergency to free up Pentagon resources, one of the people said, which was done during President Trump’s first term and faces lawsuits. It said it was adjusting its declaration to pave the way for more detention space.
The private sector, which the federal government relies heavily on for detention space, is also preparing to add beds. CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger noted on a recent conference call that the need for detention capacity is growing. CoreCivic is one of the largest private prison operators in the United States.
“We think the outcome of this election will probably be notable for ICE for a number of different reasons. One is that we think the need for detention capacity will increase. ” Hininger told investors.
The federal government is also working with county jails, and the Trump campaign is expected to rely on them to find additional space for undocumented immigrants.
The team responsible for pulling this off includes veteran immigration official Tom Homan as “border czar,” immigration hawk Stephen Miller as chief of staff for policy, and loyalist South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as director. A system has been put in place to include of the Department of Homeland Security.
Miller previously described plans for large-scale temporary holding facilities near the border to detain and deport migrants, as well as work site raids that the Biden administration halted in 2021.
Behind-the-scenes discussions also included other Border Patrol officials, including former U.S. Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott and Michael Banks, special border adviser to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, two people familiar with the matter said. It is said that there is.
The people developing the strategy, especially Mr. Homan, who was also the architect of family separation, are well versed in the immigration system. He has repeatedly emphasized that the operation will focus on public safety and national security threats.
Current and former Homeland Security officials have privately argued that Mr. Homan’s selection shows his expertise in immigration enforcement and shows the incoming administration’s seriousness. He also held senior positions at Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Obama administration, when there were record numbers of deportations.
“In the first few days, you’re going to see executive orders issued that will stem the flow and affect the flow of migrants that are coming in the meantime. The immediate focus is on who’s already here. ” said a person familiar with the plan. “Those are the first two things to prioritize in the first few days.”
Trump deported more than 1.5 million people during his first term, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. But this is about half of the 2.9 million deportations carried out during President Barack Obama’s first term, and less than the 1.9 million deported during President Obama’s second term.
These numbers do not include the millions of people who were turned away at the border under coronavirus-era policies enacted by President Trump and used for much of Biden’s term.
“What he’s trying to accomplish is really complicated,” a former administration official told CNN about Homan.
