Trump’s Border Czar Says Military Bases Could Aid Deportation Effort
Homan said he views the military as a ‘force multiplier’ to build infrastructure such as certain detention facilities
Donald Trump’s team is looking at using military bases to detain migrants and military planes to boost deportations, the president-elect’s incoming border czar Tom Homan said.
“It’s something that’s certainly on the table,” Homan said Friday in a wide-ranging interview, adding that specific plans haven’t been drawn up yet. “We’re waiting to see what Congress is going to give us for funding.”
Trump’s team plans to declare a national emergency on immigration on day one of his presidency, Trump has confirmed, which would allow the administration to divert money from the Pentagon for immigration purposes. Military troops can’t by law make arrests on U.S. soil, but Trump’s immigration advisers hope they can provide assistance in other ways to drive up deportations. The president-elect’s promised mass-deportation effort was a major pillar of his campaign.