Trump will begin operations to deport millions of undocumented immigrants when he starts his term, campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said
President-elect Trump will initiate efforts to deport millions of undocumented immigrants upon assuming office, campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Wednesday, as reported by Axios' April Rubin.
According to Leavitt, Trump will commence the "largest mass deportation operation" of undocumented immigrants on his first day in office. Trump's campaign emphasized incidents of immigrant violence, making immigration a focal issue for many voters.
Big picture: Trump's plan would leverage rarely-used laws, military funding, and cooperation from local and state law enforcement to expedite deportations by cutting back on the current multistep process.
The plan would expand "fast-track" deportations to include anyone who entered the U.S. illegally and cannot prove residence for over two years—a change from the current policy, which applies only to recent arrivals. The plan would also target unaccompanied minors who crossed the border alone.
Zoom in: An October survey found that half of Americans opposed establishing military-guarded encampments for undocumented immigrants.