Trump’s Immigration Team Signals Hardline Approach with Key Appointments
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, his choice of key personnel for his immigration team is raising alarm bells among experts and rights groups, Al Jazeera reports.
The appointments of Tom Homan, former ICE director, as “border czar” and Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy point towards a continuation of the hardline immigration policies that characterized Trump’s first term.
Homan and Miller were architects of some of Trump’s most divisive immigration policies, including the separation of migrant families at the border and the “Muslim ban.” With Trump set to launch what he has termed the “largest deportation operation in American history,” advocates say these appointments signal a commitment to fulfilling that pledge.
Immigration was a central theme of Trump’s successful re-election campaign. He and his Republican allies repeatedly attacked Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for their handling of the issue, vowing to “close” the US-Mexico border and deport millions.
In announcing Homan’s appointment, Trump declared that there is “nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders.” He added that as “border czar,” Homan would be in charge of all deportations of “illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”
Homan, a vocal proponent of deporting undocumented immigrants, served as ICE director during Trump’s first term. Miller, a long-time advisor known for his incendiary anti-migrant rhetoric, has also been a vocal advocate for mass deportations, even suggesting the use of National Guard units and detention camps for those awaiting removal.
Arash Azizzada, an immigrant rights activist and founding co-director of the group Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, expressed concern, stating that these appointments indicate Trump’s commitment to carrying out his “most cruel and racist policy promises.”
Homan has also hinted at deploying additional enforcement personnel to states and municipalities that refuse to cooperate with deportation plans.
While Trump has stated that immigration enforcement will only affect those in the US without documentation, his past statements raise alarm among activists. He previously labeled Haitian residents with legal temporary protected status as “illegal immigrants” and promised their deportation. He also pledged to sign an executive order restricting birthright citizenship, a right established in the US Constitution.
Siskind acknowledges that such efforts would likely face legal challenges in court, but he also predicts that Trump’s administration may resort to other hardline measures, including proclaiming that individuals attempting to enter the US at the border with Mexico constitute an “invasion,” invoking emergency measures, and expediting deportations using an 18th-century law.
Migration advocates across the US are preparing for an expansive crackdown on the rights of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees under Trump’s incoming administration. With Republicans potentially gaining control of both chambers of Congress, Trump will be in a strong position to implement his policy agenda.
