Trump Team Prepare For Mass Detention Of Millions Of Migrants

Officials in President-elect Donald Trump‘s incoming administration have been quietly preparing to detain and deport millions of migrants in the United States.

Immigration was a cornerstone of Trump’s 2024 campaign as he promised mass deportation and increased border enforcement.

Once in office again, Trump’s priority is to reinstate his former border policies and reverse President Joe Biden‘s directives.

Discussions among Trump’s team are focused on removing undocumented immigrants.

One key issue that will need evaluation is how, when or if to remove migrants brought to the U.S. as children.

These children are known as Dreamers, and removing them would go against the historic bipartisan support they’ve enjoyed.

Some Dreamers are protected under President Barack Obama‘s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows them to live and work in America. 

Tom Homan, who previously served as the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been named the new administration’s border czar. 

Last month, Homan told CBS, “It’s not gonna be—a mass sweep of neighborhoods. It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.”

“They’ll be targeted arrests. We’ll know who we’re going to arrest, where we’re mostly likely to find ’em based on numerous, you know, investigative processes.”

One key issue in the deportation plan is the lack of detention space. The federal government plans to work with the private sector to build, operate and manage detention facilities and to utilize county jails.

Many contractors are working with the incoming Trump administration, including those with existing contracts with the federal government. 

ICE officials say a major challenge of deportation is finding money. In 2016, the average cost of apprehending, detaining, processing and removing migrants was $10,900, with an additional $1,000 to send them back to their home country.