Trump to declare illegal immigration a national emergency

Newly sworn-in U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will declare illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency, send troops there and ramp up deportations of criminal offenders, outlining the crackdown in his inaugural address.

Trump said he would invoke a 1798 wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act to target foreign gang members in the U.S., a legal authority last used to detain noncitizens of Japanese, German, and Italian descent in internment camps during World War Two.

Trump also said he would designate criminal cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Shortly after the inauguration, U.S. border authorities said they had shut down outgoing President Joe Biden’s CBP One legal entry program, which had allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the U.S. legally by scheduling an appointment on an app.

Existing appointments were canceled, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trump, a Republican, recaptured the White House after promising to intensify border security and deport record numbers of migrants.

While Trump criticized Democrat Biden for high levels of illegal immigration during his presidency, migrant arrests fell dramatically after Biden toughened his policies in June and as Mexico stepped up enforcement.

Republicans say large-scale deportations are necessary after millions of immigrants crossed illegally during Biden’s presidency.

There were roughly 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally or with a temporary status at the start of 2022, according to a U.S. government estimate, a figure that some analysts now place at 13 million to 14 million.

“As commander-in-chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do,” Trump said in his address.

Trump’s critics and immigrant advocates say mass deportations could disrupt businesses, split families and cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars.