In a bold promise that underscores his commitment to law and order, President Donald Trump this week announced an aggressive strategy to tackle illegal immigration upon returning to the White House. Trump plans to deploy the National Guard and potentially other military forces to deport millions of illegal immigrants.

During a detailed interview with Time magazine, Trump outlined a comprehensive plan that includes resurrecting his border wall project and reinstating hardline immigration policies like “Remain in Mexico” and Title 42. President Trump said those types of measures are still in order because of the ongoing surge in trafficking illegal drugs and smuggling people across the border for unlawful purposes

TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY: Former President Donald Trump vowed to use the National Guard or other military troops to deport millions of illegal migrants if he's elected to another term. More: https://t.co/UlDI7GU5ud pic.twitter.com/OZTVU7kijO

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) May 1, 2024

“Day one, we start,” Trump declared. When he was challenged about potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, President Trump said, “These aren’t civilians, these are people that aren’t legally in our country.” 

The Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878, limits the use of the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement unless specifically authorized by Congress or the Constitution. This law reflects a longstanding principle to keep military operations distinct from civilian police work. Trump proposes enforcement of federal immigration law based on protecting national security from an invasion rather than ordinary police work normally conducted to investigate American citizens suspected of criminal activity.  

The Time interview also highlighted Trump’s broader strategy, which would be complemented by legislative efforts to extend his 2017 tax cuts. As the election approaches, polls indicate surging support for President Trump, with a new CNN poll showing him leading Joe Biden by six percentage points nationwide.

Since January 2021, the U.S. border crisis has seen unprecedented numbers of illegal migrant crossings, highlighting immigration as a critical issue for American voters this year. Under the Biden administration, nearly 7.5 million encounters have been recorded nationwide, with 6.2 million at the Southwest border alone​. The data indicates a sharp and continuing increase from President Trump’s tenure.

The severity of the situation is also shown in the high number of “gotaways” — migrants detected but not apprehended — which stands at approximately 1.7 million since fiscal year 2021​. Such “gotaways” totaled 521,247 during Trump’s administration from fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2020 in total​.