Tracking illegal immigrants: Trump administration adopts aggressive strategies

Washington: The Trump administration has intensified efforts to deport illegal immigrants, with a focus on securing additional aircraft to expedite mass deportations, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller revealed on Friday. Despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting hundreds of deportation flights last year, a shortage of aircraft continues to hinder the process, Miller shared, as reported by Bloomberg.

Military planes deployed for deportation efforts

Something strikingly new is that the administration has started using military planes like C-17s, which usually are used to transport troops, to deal with the problem- something that avoided during President Joe Biden's tenure. "You have DHS air assets, DOD air assets, State Department air assets, commercial air assets, and charter air assets—every available resource will be used for lawful deportations," Miller said. Last month, the White House published several photos and videos of military flights used for deportation, focusing more on President Trump's "tough, decisive message" of immigration policy.

Civil reserve air fleet may also be used

One of the more contentious of the administration's strategies involves the deployment of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), a program created to mobilize commercial airlines in support of the military during national emergencies. CRAF, last activated for the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation, has never been used for deportations.

According to Todd Harrison, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, "unprecedented" are the terms describing this potential step. He explains, "An enormous number of flights would be needed to get 100,000 people into the air; without temporary holding facilities, expedited deportation would be the likely outcome.
The Trump administration has also promised to increase monitoring and deportation operations against those who entered the country illegally, including those who received humanitarian parole. Miller said that advanced tools such as digital footprints, financial records, and law enforcement intelligence will be used to track and deport individuals."We are ready to act aggressively to remove those who violate immigration laws," Miller said, emphasizing the administration's commitment to enforcing strict deportation policies.