Trump Confirms He’s Prepared to Declare National Emergency to Initiate Mass Deportations

President-elect Donald Trump confirmed on Nov. 18 that he will declare a nationwide emergency to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants, a move he frequently proposed while on the campaign trail.

Tom Fitton, the head of the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, wrote in a Nov. 9 post on the social media platform Truth Social that he had heard “reports” that Trump was “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”

On Monday, Trump reposted Fitton’s remark on Truth Social, responding, “TRUE!!”

In his post, the president-elect did not elaborate more on his plans, but the vow to initiate mass deportations was a major part of Trump’s 2024 campaign messaging strategy.

Trump and running mate JD Vance often publicly pledged to carry out the plan and to reverse Biden-era immigration orders, saying that it’s a needed step to reduce crime and the fentanyl overdose epidemic and improve the U.S. economy.

One of Trump’s first cabinet selections was former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan to become his “border czar” and help initiate the plan.

Homan and Vance have indicated in interviews that the incoming Trump administration will prioritize deporting criminal illegal immigrants.

In a Fox News interview earlier this month, Homan said he would prioritize “public safety threats and national security threats” and increase workplace inspections for illegal immigrants.

“Worksite operations have to happen,” he said. “Where do we find most victims of sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking? At work sites.”

Trump, Vance, and Homan have argued that the moves will improve the U.S. economy, and Vance has specifically said that it will drive down rent and housing prices.

“President Trump’s plan over time is going to save the taxpayers money,” Homan said in a Nov. 10 Fox interview, adding that the current administration is “paying $500 a night” to house illegal immigrants in hotel rooms in New York City. “Meanwhile, there’s empty ICE beds at $127 a night, so President Trump’s plans will save taxpayers money over time.”

Scott Bessent, who has emerged as a top contender for Treasury secretary in Trump’s cabinet, also told Fox News on Nov. 11 that allowing unfettered illegal migration into the United States would be a more costly alternative in the long term.

“Let’s talk about the human cost. We have 100,000 fentanyl deaths a year because of the porous border. We have the increased crime. We have the underlying fear that the American people have. You can’t put a price on that,” he said.

By some estimates, about 11 million illegal immigrants currently reside in the United States, some being able to do so under temporary protected status orders issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

Some immigration advocacy groups such as the American Immigration Council have said that the deportation plan would be costly and would cause an economic downturn. The plan, according to the organization, would be estimated to cost about $315 billion.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other immigration groups have pledged to fight Trump’s deportation plans in the courts. During Trump’s first term in office, it was common for the ACLU to file lawsuits against a myriad of policies, including immigration-related ones, that Trump ordered as president.

In a statement on the ACLU’s website, the group writes that on “Day One,” it will “defend against the Trump administration’s unlawful mass deportation plan through coordinated action at all levels of government.”

“We’ll also work with states and localities to protect residents to the full extent possible and ensure that a Trump administration can’t” use state-level resources to initiate the plan, it adds.

Trump has also floated the idea of using the military against Mexican drug cartels, building a wall along the U.S.–Mexico border, and invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

“The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels,” Trump said in a statement issued in 2023, adding that those organizations have the “blood of countless millions on their hands.”

“When I am back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again,” he said at the time.