President Trump says he plans to declare a national emergency to carry out mass deportations with the help of “military assets.”

Trump shared a post on Truth Social from the president of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, stating that the incoming administration is “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program.”

The president-elect wrote on Monday morning, “TRUE!!!”

The Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, tells the Sun, “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families.”

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness. He will deliver,” Ms. Leavitt added.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to carry out a mass deportation operation after the country saw record levels of illegal border crossings during President Biden’s time in office.

Senator Rubio estimated in a May 2024 interview on NBC News that there are as many as 30 million illegal immigrants living in the country. However, the Migration Policy Institute and the Department of Homeland Security put the number around 11 million.

Shortly after Trump won the 2024 election, he nominated officials to serve in his administration who will help carry out his deportation plan, such as a former ICE director, Tom Homan.

Trump said Mr. Homan would be his “border tsar” and in charge of the deportation operation. 

Mr. Homan says he will focus on illegal immigrants who are seen as criminals or national security threats first. In September, the New York Post reported ICE data shows there are more than 662,566 illegal immigrants in the country with criminal backgrounds, including more than 13,000 convicted murderers.

In an interview with Donald Trump Jr. on his Rumble show, Mr. Homan said Americans can expect “shock and awe” with regard to how the deportation operation will be carried out.

“You’re going to see us take this country back and, look like I said before, it isn’t just about the deportation operation. This is about saving the children and about securing the border. What’s the results? Less overdose deaths, less sex trafficking, for God’s sake, one of the worst crimes around, less migrants dying,” Mr. Homan said. 

Polls have found that a majority of Americans support mass deportations. However, some surveys have found they are not entirely on board with a blanket removal operation. Exit polls conducted by CNN found that 56 percent of respondents said they believe migrants should be given the opportunity to apply for legal status instead of facing removal. 

A poll from a liberal polling firm, Data for Progress, found respondents tended to say there should be leniency for migrants who entered America without legal status under certain conditions, such as if they were brought to the country as a child or if they earned a doctoral degree from an American university.