TRUMP'S DEPORTATION PUSH INTENSIFIES AS HE DEPLOYS MORE TROOPS
President Donald Trump is following up on some of his campaign promises immediately by taking a strong stance on immigration. As Trump deploys troops throughout the southern U.S. border, there are ongoing deportations as well as naval operations taking place. The hope is to stifle illegal immigration both in the present and future.
The Pentagon Scrambles as Troops Are Deployed
The Pentagon is trying to get its service members into position as Trump gives orders to deploy troops throughout places where illegal immigration is common.
Around 1,500 active-duty troops, approximately 1,000 Soldiers, and 500 Marines are being sent to help fly immigrants out of the U.S. and build barriers to the southern U.S. border.
At this point, the troops deployed in the U.S. have been estimated at about 3,000 all over the Southern U.S. The active-duty troops came from Marine units in Camp Pendleton, CA, and Army units in Texas, Kentucky, New York, Georgia, Kansas, Colorado, and Washington.
This is believed to be the first of many related steps that will result in more aggressive border and immigration policies continuing to roll out under the Trump administration.
Additionally, while the troops are being deployed throughout the Mexican-American border, military C-17 planes are also conducting deportation flights out of Tucson International Airport. However, during Trump’s second term, his administration is aiming to bring forth a historic crackdown.
With the current number of troops deployed, NORTHCOM has released a list of the units for which they are being assigned, both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to this, the Stryker brigade is also considered to be deployed to the southern border, along with the consideration of tactical drones to be deployed as well.
The Role of USNORTHCOM
Through an executive order, Trump's deployment of troops on day one sets a precedent of expectation for what’s to come. However, plenty of questions still remain.
This includes figuring out what the role of the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) will be. An organization typically worrying about missile and airspace security for North America has now been brought in to help maintain our borders.
"No later than 10 days from the effective date of this order, deliver to the President a revision to the Unified Command Plan that assigns United States Northern Command the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States by repelling forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities," reads Trump's executive orders.
This was enough to spark a debate about what this could mean for the organization facing unprecedented situations.
Retired Gen. Victor Renuart expressed concerns about unclear roles for border agencies and the Department of Defense in Trump's executive order on border security warning that while NORTHCOM might oversee efforts through limited, established practices, extending them beyond support roles could be a negative development.
Legal expert Elizabeth Goitein highlighted the unusual language in the order, suggesting that if it’s in place for potential military campaigns rather than traditional law enforcement support, it could be illegal.
Mass Deportations are Now Being Conducted
With troops deployed in the U.S., the DOD is also using them to transport more than 5,000 detained immigrants from San Diego and El Paso while also assisting with building physical border barriers. In line with this, the quota that has been issued to ICE is to arrest 1,200 to 1,500 people per day.
All of these actions, however, come into Trump’s plan to fight back against cartels while discouraging future immigration efforts.
Trump Deploys Troops to South Florida As Well
California, New Mexico, and Texas aren’t the only states seeing an increase in troops under the Trump administration.
The U.S. Coast Guard is also deploying additional ships, boats, and aircraft to South Florida and other regions in an effort to increase anti-maritime immigration. This comes after Adm. Linda Fagan was replaced by Adm. Kevin Lunday.
Specifically, the Florida Straits, the border between the Bahamas and Florida as well as the southwest border with Mexico are receiving a larger increase of resources. However, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories will also benefit.
There has already been an increase in patrols that have brought down elevated immigration from Cuba and Haiti between late 2022 and early 2023, overwhelming officials and causing Dry Tortugas National Park to close.
With the troops deployed now, immigration numbers have dropped for months, and it appears that more efforts are on the way to keep levels low in the future.
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