How President Trump’s ‘border czar’ envisions his mass deportation plan: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk, our evening newsletter that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News political team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s edition, political heavyweight Alec Hernandez reviews 20 interviews Donald Trump’s next “border czar” Tom Homan has given to shed more light on his mass deportation plans. Additionally, Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd examines the opportunities and challenges facing Mike Duggan’s independent candidacy for Michigan Governor.

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Tom Homan outlines President Trump’s mass deportation plan to conservative media outlets

Written by Alec Hernandez

President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for key positions in his next administration are being kept private from the public broadcast to avoid any verbal gaffes that could jeopardize his chances for Senate confirmation.

Not so with Tom Homan.

Homan, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during President Trump’s first term, has been named the new White House “border czar.” Because the job does not require Senate confirmation, Mr. Homan has the freedom to appear on cable news and conservative media outlets to promote Mr. Trump’s policies.

He has given at least 20 interviews over the past month, all of which were confirmed by NBC News. Tasked with coordinating mass deportations, a core part of President Trump’s campaign promise, Homan will use his appearance to provide details on how the effort will take shape and how the administration will move forward with its plans. started talking. Although far from painting a complete picture, the interviews provided more detail about deportation policies than previously provided.

Use of the U.S. military: During the campaign, President Trump suggested his administration might use the military to carry out deportations and is considering moving U.S. troops from overseas and stationing them at the southern border.

Homan appeared on SiriusXM’s “The David Webb Show” on Nov. 12 and said he believes the potential role for military personnel would be most useful for missions that don’t require explicit immigration authority.

The Pentagon has “supported several regimes in the border region, and they have the potential to double their forces,” Homan said. He continued: “The military could be used to free up law enforcement officers from administrative duties and help them get out on the streets and do their job.”

Where the money will come from: A major unresolved question is how the incoming Trump administration will fund its massive deportation program. Although Mr. Homan has no formal authority over how much money his efforts will receive, Mr. Trump said he has committed to the financial support needed to make good on his promise.

“Well, $86 billion is the bare minimum,” Homan said Sunday on Fox Business’ “Sunday Morning Futures” about the cost of deportations, adding that the administration would need help from Congress to finance it. He pointed out that.

Cooperation (or lack thereof) with local authorities: Given the vast scope of the operation President Trump is seeking, Mr. Homan expressed the need for assistance from local authorities to carry out his immigration plan. But several Democratic leaders have already signaled their intention to resist and block agencies like ICE from operating within their jurisdictions.

As Mr. Homan has repeatedly been pressed to live up to these pledges of non-cooperation in his television appearances, a pattern has emerged in the way the administration signals its willingness to deal with resistance. Those who obstruct the regime’s efforts will be prosecuted.

“Law enforcement should work with law enforcement,” Homan said in a Nov. 11 interview on Fox News.

“I’ve seen some Democratic governors say they’re going to get in the way. They’re going to make it difficult for us. Suggestion: If you’re not going to help us, get out of the way. Please, we will do it,” he said.

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More details on Trump’s immigration plan: The incoming Trump administration will break with the long-held law that has prevented ICE agents from arresting illegal aliens in or near so-called sensitive locations, including places of worship, schools, hospitals or funerals. We intend to withdraw this policy. , weddings or public demonstrations, without supervisor approval. Read more →

Will the rise of independents come? Experiments underway on key battlefields

Written by Chuck Todd

While much of Washington is preoccupied with either the reality show surrounding Donald Trump’s transition or the hand-wringing and blame game over the Democratic Party’s election defeat, a potentially consequential political event unfolds in Michigan. A unique story is being developed.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan shocked the state’s political community by announcing he would run for governor in 2026, but it was the first time he has been an active and prominent Democrat for four decades. It wasn’t. Instead, he will seek to run as an independent, avoiding a crowded and potentially divisive Democratic primary.

The list of Democrats who could seek to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is full of high-profile names. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, and Mr. Duggan are all seen as three possible candidates. We are quietly preparing for operation in 2024.

In my experience, most independent candidates who previously ran and won as Democrats or Republicans, but then switch, do so out of some kind of political necessity. That is, they believe they cannot get fair support from voters in the primary, or that the advocacy or position they are taking will only work in the general election, but will matter in the primary. I’m afraid it won’t happen.

The hurdles for winning as an independent are extremely high, and it is by no means a path of least resistance. Michigan has an even bigger hurdle to overcome. The state still allows straight-ticket voting, meaning voters simply pull a lever or draw a bubble inside a major party circle to indicate their vote for all parties on the ballot. I can do that.

So what are the benefits for Duggan? The biggest one probably includes financial support. Some of his biggest supporters are not traditional Democratic donors, like Rocket Mortgage founder Dan Gilbert and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.

While getting an endorsement from someone like Mr. Gilbert or Mr. Dimon might be good politics in the general election, it probably won’t sit well with many active Democrats. Additionally, Duggan broke ground with his efforts to clean up and reform Detroit. Although he enjoys high praise, he has also had his fair share of clashes with the city’s leading Democrats, who oppose him more in the gubernatorial primary (and as a lame-duck mayor) than they do while in the city. There may be a strong tendency. Politics.

It is therefore likely that Duggan viewed the primary as both a math problem and an issue position problem. A knife fight for the Democratic nomination with experienced and well-respected Pauls like Benson, Gilchrist, and even Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He is a wild card who moved to the state after the 2020 election and has now lived there long enough to meet Michigan’s candidacy requirements. The 2026 state elections could cause all sorts of cultural and identity schisms that could be damaging to the eventual candidates.

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That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.

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