Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said on Sunday that while he supports mass deportation of illegal immigrants, he opposes President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to use the US military to expel migrants “because it is illegal.”
Throughout the election cycle, Trump placed great emphasis on the topic of immigration, making it a cornerstone of his political platform since his entrance into the political arena in 2016. On the campaign trail, he made a commitment to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and recently, he reaffirmed his intentions by stating that his incoming administration is ready to declare a national emergency to execute his mass deportation strategy. Moreover, he expressed his intention to involve the U.S. military in some capacity to aid in this endeavor.
During his appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Senator Paul expressed his full support for apprehending and prosecuting individuals who have committed serious crimes such as murder and sexual assault. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that these individuals face justice either by being incarcerated or returned to their home countries’ justice systems. However, he also highlighted the illegality and the long-standing concerns surrounding the use of the military for domestic law enforcement purposes.
In September, a report by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) caught Paul’s attention. He appeared to confuse the figures, as the report indicated 13,099 noncitizens convicted of murder and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault. It is important to note that these statistics cover a long period of time, including individuals who have entered the country over the past four decades or even longer.
“The police understand the Fourth Amendment. They have to go to judges. They have to get warrants; it has to be specific. I’m for removing these people, but I would do it through the normal process of domestic policing,” Paul told Brennan.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says he supports President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations, but not his suggestion of using the military for it, “because it’s illegal.”
“We’ve had a distrust of putting the army into our streets,” he says, calling for deportations “through… pic.twitter.com/WUms7FSu66— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 24, 2024
Brennan highlighted the immense challenge that immigration authorities would face in carrying out a mass deportation plan. He pointed out that with only 6,000 agents and 41,000 detention beds, it would be a daunting task to round up millions of undocumented individuals.
She then asked Paul, “How do you suggest they implement it?”
“I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities. I think it’s a terrible image,” Paul said, using the same language as in an interview with Newsmax he did earlier this week.
Paul stated that he would employ the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), ICE, and Border Patrol to execute the deportations.
According to the speaker, the focus should not be on detaining the migrants. Instead, the suggestion is that they should be sent to jail, either in the current country or in the country they originated from.
According to the senator, he believes that deputizing the U.S. National Guard to carry out the deportations is not the most effective approach.
“It remains uncertain whether the act is legal or illegal. Normally, it requires the governors’ approval. However, I strongly oppose the idea of the police being militarized, irrespective of whether it involves the National Guard or the Army,” he expressed his concerns.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut who is also a member of the Homeland Security Committee, stated that if President Trump were to utilize the military for mass deportations, it would go against the Insurrection Act. This act permits presidents to deploy troops within the United States to restore order when they deem it necessary.
“We’re pursuing whatever we can do to make clear that the Insurrection Act should not permit that use of the military,” Blumenthal told The New York Times in an article published Monday.
According to the senator, the Insurrection Act would be considered illegal if there is no significant and widespread threat to public order.