Trump to declare border emergency, use military to repel 'invasion'

WASHINGTON − President-elect Donald Trump on Monday is expected to declare a national border emergency and order the U.S. armed forces to "repel forms of invasion" at the U.S.-Mexico border, including illegal migration and drug trafficking, according to incoming administration officials.

The 10 executive orders – previewed by incoming White House officials who spoke anonymously before he was set to be sworn in at noon – appear to lay the groundwork for the sprawling crackdown on immigration Trump promised during his campaign.

Under the emergency declaration, the administration will suspend refugee resettlement, finish building the border wall, suspend entry of nationals from "countries of concern" and attempt to end the constitutionally guaranteed right to citizenship for children born in the U.S. to some foreign nationals.

The incoming administration also plans to use the military to target drug cartels as "global terrorists" and use the military to combat them, though officials declined to provide details on the rules of engagement.

Trump's vow to launch a "mass deportation" was the signature promise of his campaign.

The declaration of a national emergency comes as illegal border crossings are at their lowest level in more than five years. In early January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported roughly 1,000 migrant encounters daily, from California to Texas – down 75% from a year ago.

The officials said the executive orders came in response to widespread chaos at the border during the four years of the Biden administration. The officials cited the record number of encounters with migrants at the border who didn't have legal authorization to be in the country during that period, including hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children.

Trump's record on deportations

Despite a pledge to reduce illegal immigration during his first term, Trump never achieved the level or annual pace of deportations that President Barack Obama did.

Under Obama, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – the federal agency tasked with enforcing immigration laws in the interior – deported more than 360,000 people annually during six years of his two-term presidency, with a peak over 400,000 in 2012. Angered by the aggressive enforcement, immigrant advocates nicknamed Obama the country's "Deporter-in-Chief" during the period.

Trump logged more than 935,000 deportations over four years, including more than 260,000 removals in 2019, the highest year.

During his first administration, Trump faced rising numbers of illegal border crossings at the outset of his presidency and was forced to shift resources from interior enforcement to the border. His final year in office was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a slowdown in ICE removals.

This story will be updated.