Written by Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump is expected to take a number of executive actions on his first day as president to tighten immigration laws and roll back Biden’s legal immigration plans, a major effort to be led by “border king” Tom. Homan and other hard workers from other countries in the Republic, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The actions will give immigration officials more opportunity to arrest people without criminal records, deploy troops to the US-Mexico border and restart construction of a border wall, the sources said.
Homan, who served as acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from 2017-2018 under Trump, will bring a deep understanding of America’s immigration system after a decade of work that took him from top Border Patrol agent to head of the agency. which arrests and deports illegal immigrants to the US.
Trump is also expected to end President Joe Biden’s humanitarian programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter legally in recent years and could encourage those with expired conditions to leave voluntarily, according to the sources, who declined to be identified.
“All of this has to be on the table,” said Mark Morgan, Trump’s top immigration official during Trump’s first four-year term, who said he does not speak for Trump’s transition team.
Trump’s first actions will kick off his immigration agenda, which includes a promise to deport record numbers of illegal immigrants to the US.
The US Department of Homeland Security estimates that there were 11 million undocumented immigrants in 2022, a number that is likely to rise. Other cities receiving immigrants, including New York, Chicago and Denver, are struggling to find housing and help.
Trump, a Republican, defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in last week’s presidential election. He made claims that the Biden administration allowed high levels of illegal immigration to become a focus of his campaign.
Trump’s reform effort remains in its early stages, and plans could change before his inauguration on January 20. A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Immigration arrests have reached a record high during Biden’s presidency, straining the use of US borders. But illegal crossings have fallen sharply this year as Biden imposed new border restrictions and Mexico tightened enforcement.
Trump aims to crack down on illegal crossings and use a government-wide approach to arrest, detain and deport large numbers of people.
Trump announced Sunday night that Homan will serve as the White House’s “border chief” in charge of security and immigration enforcement. Vice President-elect JD (NASDAQ: ) Vance on Monday appeared to confirm that Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s first-term anti-immigration agenda, will return as deputy chief of staff for policy, confirming that the issue will remain central.
Trump also plans to nominate South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to be the secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Noem, whose Midwestern homeland is closer to Canada than Mexico, has taken a tough stance on illegal immigration and made several trips in recent years to the US-Mexico border, which he called a “war zone” in January.
Trump’s aggressive agenda could face legal challenges from Democratic states, the American Civil Liberties Union and pro-immigrant advocates.
FIRST DAY GET IN SHAPE
One of Trump’s top Day One actions is expected to be an order to tighten domestic law, arrest and detain illegal immigrants in the US, sources said.
Trump intends to scrap the Biden administration’s guidelines that prioritized people with serious criminal records for deportation and limited enforcement of non-criminals, they said.
Trump’s order will require deportations to prioritize people convicted of crimes and people who have exhausted their legal options to stay, but will not prevent officials from taking in other deportable immigrants.
An estimated 1.4 million immigrants in the US have final deportation orders, according to ICE, a group that will be the focus of the incoming Trump administration.
“The judge said, ‘You have to go home,’ but they didn’t,” Homan told Fox News on Monday.
Certain groups – such as international students who support the Palestinian terror group Hamas and violate the terms of their student visas – could also be listed as a priority, the two sources said.
ICE may use military aircraft in deportations and seek help from other federal agencies to transport deportees, one source said. “All options are on the table,” the source said.
Another order will deal with border security, the two sources said. Trump intends to send National Guard troops to the border and declare illegal immigration a national emergency to free up money to build a border wall, sources said.
Wall construction in Arizona — where Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs opposes Republican enforcement efforts — could be a priority, two sources said.
ENDING THE BIDEN PLANS
Trump plans to end Biden’s temporary “amnesty” programs, which have allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter legally and obtain work permits, sources said.
The plans include an initiative for certain migrants with US sponsors and another that allows migrants in Mexico to use the app to schedule appointments at the border.
US citizens with expired parole status who leave voluntarily may be allowed to apply for legal admission without penalty, the sources said.
Trump is expected to talk to Mexico about reinstating his “Stay in Mexico” program, which required non-Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their cases in the US are being processed.
