Tag: illegal-immigration

THE GREAT DEPORTATION

In the words of ex-NY Giants football coach Tom Coughlin “talk is cheap; play the game.” For the past several years various politicians have been advocating the need for a “comprehensive” immigration policy, but for various reasons nothing substantive has been accomplished. President Trump also has been staunchly advocating strengthening the southern border. This includes preventing illegal immigrants from entering the country and deporting the undesirable ones that are already here. Only five days into his presidency Trump has been demonstrating that, unlike his predecessors, his talk was not cheap. He intends to “play the game.” We are witnessing yet another example that Trump “says what he means and means what he says.”

The Great Deportation has begun. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt proclaimed that “President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the world that if you illegally enter the [US] you will face severe consequences.” Officials assert that this is just the beginning of the deportation process. Moreover, the US has already deployed some 4,000 active-duty military personnel to render assistance to inundated CBP personnel. This is an obvious tactic that somehow eluded the prior Administration.

While Trump has vowed a campaign of mass deportations, his White House border czar has repeatedly said that initially they will be targeting the low-hanging fruit, people who have committed crimes. That includes known terrorists, spies, psychos, and criminals, such as rapists, pedophiles, gang members and murderers. (The NY Post has dubbed this phase “pervs and perps,” which is an apt moniker.) Many of these people are relatively easy to find. Law enforcement officials have arrested and released them multiple times. They know where to find them. They are not hiding. Heretofore, they have had no fear of law enforcement. That is about to change.

ICE is now be authorized to seek out illegals in locations that were previously prohibited on the grounds of being “sensitive,” such as schools, churches and hospitals. Some rights groups, such as the ACLU, have launched plans to protect immigrants who are detained at these locations even though border czar Tom Homan has declared repeatedly that ICE operations will be focused initially on specific people who have committed crimes.

According to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research there is widespread support in America for beefing up security at the southern border and undertaking some targeted deportations, particularly of people who have committed violent crimes. The same poll reported that most Americans think local police should cooperate with federal immigration authorities on deportations in at least some cases. Support declines when it comes to deporting people in the country illegally who have not been convicted of a crime. Some deportations may be controversial, such as those that split families where some members are citizens and others are not, but for now the public is squarely behind these deportations.

In just five days, Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, has accomplished more than Kackling Kamala did in four years. There have been hundreds of arrests and hundreds more detentions. Fox News reported that this included illegals from dozens of countries. Multiple media outlets have shown the visual of these people boarding C-17s in shackles to be transported to various countries. It’s true what they say: “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Trump has suspended the entry of all undocumented migrants to the US, and border patrol agents have been instructed to turn people away without granting them asylum hearings. Heretofore, migrants were able to arrive at the US border and had the legal right to seek asylum. He also ended a major Biden-era policy that allowed up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to fly into the US on “humanitarian” grounds.

People, both foreign and domestic, are getting the message. As these deportees return to their home country other wannabees are realizing the futility of even trying to come to the US. On Friday, Guatemala received three flights from the U.S. loaded with Guatemalan nationals who had been sent back to their home country. A spokesperson for the Guatemalan Migration Institute told NBC News that two of Friday’s flights were on military aircraft and the other was on a non-military plane. The total number of Guatemalans who arrived in Guatemala City from the three flights was about 265.

In another interesting development the city of Huntington Beach, CA, located in deep blue Orange County, passed a “non-sanctuary city resolution” that basically requires local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE and other federal agencies in the performance of their duties with respect to locating, detaining and deporting illegal aliens. I view this as a direct “shot” at Governor Newsome and CA’s sanctuary policies. Could it be the first of many? We’ll see.

According to the AP Mexico denied a U.S. military plane access to land Thursday, at least temporarily frustrating the Trump administration’s plans to deport immigrants to that country. In a press release, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not go into detail as to why the U.S. plane was not allowed to land. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has said it opposes “unilateral action” by Trump to implement “restrictive immigration standards,” such as the reinstatement of the “remain in Mexico” policy.

The Administration dealt with that issue with alacrity. A White House official said in a text message that “the flights thing was an administrative issue and was quickly rectified.” Indeed, on Friday White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced, that “yesterday, Mexico accepted a record four deportation flights in one day.” President Scheinbaum added, “Mexico has a very good relationship with the United States government, and we cooperate on a wide range of issues, including migration.” She added “when it comes to repatriations, we will always welcome the arrival of Mexicans to our territory with open arms. Mexico embraces you.”

Mexico is anticipating an influx of migrants pursuant to Trump’s deportation orders and has started building giant tent shelters in nine border cities to temporarily house them. For example, according to Reuters as part of the “Mexico Embraces You” program the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez has commenced to construct shelters that will be able to house thousands of migrants and should be ready in a few days. The shelters will provide food, medical care and assistance in getting identification documents. Additionally, a fleet of buses will be available to help transport Mexicans back to their hometowns. Other nations, such as Guatemala are planning to launch similar efforts to absorb their returning deportees.

Another significant development was the scrapping of the CBP One smartphone app, which migrants were able to use to schedule appointments with US border patrol agents. The CBP One app was launched by the Biden administration as a way to organize and streamline the entry of migrants who are fleeing persecution. According to CBS News, some 270,000 migrants who had been hoping to utilize the app to obtain appointments have become stranded in Mexico. The American Civil Liberties Union has since filed a legal challenge against the app’s closure.

In other related news the Trump Administration removed Secret Service protection from Anthony Fauci, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. Trump, somewhat facetiously, offered to “give them some [telephone] numbers of some very good security people” if they wanted to hire their own.

Conclusion

According to Fox News Digital illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border have dropped significantly since Trump’s inauguration compared to the end of the previous administration. It is refreshing to finally have a president who recognizes a problem and proceeds to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Illegal immigration is but one of many problems Trump has inherited, and my hope and expectation is that he will handle the others in a similarly expeditious fashion.

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TRUMP TRANSITION UPDATE

In a previous blog I posted that following his election Donald Trump has hit the ground running. He is very mindful of his mandate and that there is much to be done in a very short time while the GOP has control of both houses of Congress. There is no time to waste. The extensive public support he has now can melt away quickly like a summer snow.

There are limitations as to what he can accomplish prior to his inauguration on January 20, 2025. Nevertheless, in a few short weeks he has already achieved more than any other President-elect I can recall. In my view, this is due primarily to (1) his tireless work ethic and (2) his reputation that he says what he means and means what he says. Friends and adversaries alike know that Trump has the hammer, and he will not be afraid to use it. This is a radical change from the current administration.

Some of his actions have been disclosed to the public, but others have been accomplished privately behind the scenes. Below please find a description of some of the more significant ones:

  1. He has already filled out most of his proposed cabinet and key advisors. Some Dem senators may attempt to delay approval of a few of them, but historically very few presidential-elects’ nominations have failed to be confirmed.
  2. One nomination that has engendered controversy is RFK, Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has been criticized for his assertion of a link between certain vaccines and autism. However, he is a strong advocate of improving the overall health of Americans through their diets. He maintains that many of our foods contain too much sugar and preservatives that are banned in other countries.
  3. The issue that has received the most attention is illegal immigration. In the last few years, the southern border has generated the most attention and deservedly so, but Trump has been focusing on the northern border as well. He has already met with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s President Justin Trudeau. Both have been less than cooperative with respect to this issue under the Biden-Harris Administration, but after meeting with Trump both have undergone a radical change in attitude. Sheinbaum has agreed to halt the flow of immigrants through Mexico. She assured Trump that various illegal migrant caravans heading toward the border “are being taken care of in Mexico.” This is very significant. Obviously, the most effective way to curtail illegal immigration is to prevent them from reaching the border in the first place. In addition, she agreed to cooperate with the US to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the US. Trudeau has also agreed to cooperate. As I write this it has been reported that he is enroute to Mira Lago to discuss the immigration issue with Trump in more detail.
  4. Apparently, the major reason for this attitude adjustment was Trump’s threat to levy a 25% tariff on those countries’ exports to the US unless they agreed to cooperate to eliminate illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl. Some (including President Biden who awoke from his months-long slumber to advise Trump to “rethink it”) have criticized his proposed use of tariffs, but those critics miss the point. The imposition of tariffs is a bargaining chip, nothing more. Trump would only employ them as a last resort, but in my opinion, he won’t have to. Again, they know he says what he means and means what he says.
  5. As I reported in a previous blog the CDC has reported that in the last three years fentanyl has been responsible for an average of 75,000 fatalities per year. I maintain that this is directly attributable to Biden-Harris’ failure to control our borders. Trump has also addressed this issue with China, which is generally acknowledged to be the major source of the drug. He has threatened China with a 10% tariff on imports should it fail to cooperate.
  6. Part of Trump’s plan to identify, arrest and deport illegal migrants will be to utilize local law enforcement. According to the Wall Street Journal the plan is to deputize them in accordance with Federal law 287(g) to act as “immigration agents.” This law was passed in 1996 during the Clinton Administration. It had been phased out in recent years, but Trump intends to resurrect it. Local law enforcement personnel would be used to “question and detain” suspected illegals during the performance of their normal duties and coordinate with ICE. This would greatly enhance the efficiency of identifying, detaining, processing and deporting illegals.
  7. The first priority for deportation will be criminals, drug dealers, terrorists and others would do harm to America. I fail to see how anyone could oppose that plan. There is a plethora of them to keep ICE and Homeland busy.
  8. Border Czar Tom Homan has stated repeatedly that he will brook no interference from officials in sanctuary jurisdictions in carrying out his duties. The laws, public opinion, and the power of the federal government are on his side. He has reiterated that those who harbor illegals or interfere in any way are committing felonies and will be dealt with accordingly.
  9. As reported in the NY Post and elsewhere Trump intends to declare a “national emergency” and utilize “military assets” to assist in the effort to deport illegal migrants.
  10. A federal appeals court has blocked the Biden-Harris Administration from removing razor wire fencing along Texas’ borders and buoys that Texas had placed in the Rio Grande to prevent illegal migrants from crossing into the US.
  11. Venezuela has been a particular problem. According to the NY Post in excess of 800,000 Venezuelan illegal migrants have entered the US during the Biden-Harris Administration. Many of them are members of the brutal prison gang, Tren de Aragua. This gang has been a scourge. It is extremely violent and has been responsible for a considerable amount of violence and criminality against US citizens. Venezuelan authorities have refused to accept deportees. This is unacceptable. Trump and Homan have vowed to force them to do so by employing of additional sanctions and/or withholding aid. The US has the ability to “crush” Venezuela economically, and the threat of doing so should convince Venezuela to accept the deportees.
  12. Perhaps, Trump’s most ingenuous appointments were Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of a new Department of Government Efficiency. This department will be charged with identifying and eliminating “waste, fraud, and mismanagement” in the federal government. They expect to trim “trillions” of dollars. That goal may be too ambitious, but the idea is sound. Most people believe that this type of review is long overdue.
  13. Suddenly, with Trump on the horizon, Hamas and Hezbollah have become more amenable to negotiated settlements. They are mindful of how he destroyed ISIS during his prior term, and they fear and respect him (unlike the current administration). Once Trump takes office, resumes drilling, and begins to squeeze Iran economically and financially, H and H will lose much of the support of their sponsor. Then there will be a good chance to end the ME wars and secure the return of the hostages.
  14. Florida Governor Ron De Santis has to appoint someone to fill Marco Rubio’s Senate seat. DeSantis is taking his time. There are a copious number of candidates. Some of the qualifications he is said to be looking for is a person who is “strong on immigration and border security, will take on the entrenched bureaucracy … and reverse the nation’s fiscal decline.” Lara Trump is a possibility, but there are many others as well.

Conclusion

According to multiple media reports Trump’s victory has uplifted the outlook of the public, in general. People have expressed confidence that he will solve the nation’s problems that have plagued us for four years. One indication is that, as reported by CNBC and other media outlets, shopping volume has increased dramatically, particularly in “red” states.

It is refreshing that we will finally have a president that will simply get things done. Once again, America will be the pre-eminent power in the world economically and militarily. Once again, America will be respected by its friends and feared by its enemies. Once again, America will be great again.

As I have said, Trump is fully cognizant that he has to act with alacrity while his party still controls both houses of Congress and enjoys the overwhelming support of the people. History tells us this honeymoon period will not last long, at most, until the 2026 midterm elections. As Trump likes to say, “we’ll see what happens.”

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