Tom Homan — a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the man tapped to lead the Trump administration’s ambitious immigration enforcement initiative — told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he plans to focus on the “worst first,” but also cautioned that every single individual living unlawfully in the country is also fair game. The comments came after some border hardliners had openly speculated whether the Trump team was watering down its agenda before inauguration day.

“Like the first Trump administration, we’re going to prioritize public safety threats, national security threats and fugitives,” Homan said to the DCNF, adding that gang members and other criminals would be their main focus. “Those that had due process at great taxpayer expense, were given orders of deportation, never left and became a fugitive – them too, they’re a priority.”

“The ones who pose the biggest threat to the country – they come first. The worst first,” Homan continued. “But let’s be clear, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”

Trump, who recently won the presidential election in an electoral landslide, campaigned off a pro-immigration enforcement agenda. The Republican has tapped Homan to lead deportation efforts, South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, Caleb Vitello to lead ICE and Rodney Scott to lead Customs and Border Protection, among other key immigration-related appointments.

The president-elect has pledged a slate of hawkish border policies, such as a return of the Remain in Mexico program, construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the end of birthright citizenship for those born to illegal migrant parents and, perhaps most notably, a vow to conduct the largest deportation operation in the country’s history. While estimates vary, organizations like the Federation for American Immigration Reform calculate that around 17 million illegal migrants are in the U.S., meaning the Trump administration would have its hands full removing just a fraction of this population.

Homan and others within Trump’s circle have repeatedly stated that their deportation operation would run on a “worst first” policy, giving priority to convicted criminals, gangbangers and others that pose a public safety threat to the country. While such a policy ostensibly reflects the basic logistical and financial constraints of mass enforcement efforts, the mantra had sparked some concern by border hawk advocates that the upcoming administration is watering down its lauded goal.

Homan, nonetheless, reiterated that no illegal migrant has reason to think they are completely safe from deportation.

While the Biden administration assumed office in 2021 by placing a moratorium on ICE deportations and overseeing the lowest number of removals in the agency’s history, it has recently boasted about sky-high deportations for the past fiscal year. However, Homan said these numbers are mostly subterfuge as they largely consisted of removals of individuals originally apprehended by Border Patrol — not those arrested by ICE in the interior of the country.

Public debate over illegal immigration spread during the Biden administration not only because of the record-levels of border encounters experienced in recent years, but also due to a number of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal migrants. Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra was found guilty in November of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley; Guatemalan national Sebastian Zapeta is accused of burning a woman alive on a New York City train earlier this month and Tren de Aragua gang members have been blamed for a litany of crimes across the U.S.

The incoming border czar said the removals happening now under the Biden administration will look meager come January, when Trump enters office and he is able to allow deportation officers to operate across the country with far fewer restraints.

“We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them do what they do best,” Homan declared to the DCNF.

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Trump made mass deportation of illegal immigrants a key part of his campaign to win a second term as almost 11 million people flooded into the country illegally since 2021.

The president-elect’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has signaled a new era of federal, state, and local cooperation when it comes to deporting illegal immigrants.

Homan, the former acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), indicated he will first target those who have criminal convictions or are wanted for crimes.

“The nation wants a safe country. We’ve had enough crime in this country,” Homan said during a stop at the Texas border in November.

Sheriffs in the nation’s 3,100 counties could play an essential role in helping ICE to identify and detain illegal immigrants, said Sam Bushman, CEO of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), a conservative organization that opposes “unconstitutional” government overreach.

As chief law enforcement officers in their counties, elected sheriffs have more latitude than appointed police chiefs. They have authority over criminal investigations, serving warrants, managing county jails, and providing court security within the county.

Bushman foresees cooperation between willing county, state, and federal authorities to deport illegal immigrants, possibly through the creation of a new coordination agency or command center.

“I think that we could create an organization that communicates with this trifecta, and that would be very effective,” he said.

Richard Mack, a former Arizona sheriff and founder of CSPOA, has been in contact with Homan and believes sheriffs will be an integral part of border security and deportation efforts because of their unique understanding of their jurisdictions.

“Who in this country knows their counties better than the sheriff?” he asked.

Because of their local knowledge, sheriffs are in a unique position to help make deportation safer and easier, Mack told The Epoch Times.

Regardless of politics, sheriffs must protect their constituents from crime and criminals, both tied to illegal immigration in terms of drug and human smuggling along with violent gang activity, he said.

Policy experts have suggested that the federal government could deputize local law enforcement under its 287(g) program to aid ICE because the agency likely doesn’t have the manpower to do so alone.

The 287(g) program currently provides a framework of cooperation wherein local jails work with ICE to identify illegal immigrants as they are booked for a crime. ICE and designated local law enforcement can then hold that inmate for up to an additional 48 hours so that ICE can take custody of the inmate.

Homan has touted the program as a safe deportation pipeline, as ICE officers can pick up deportees within the safety of a jail setting, rather than having to organize an operation out in the community.

ICE has about 20,000 employees, including support personnel. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has 6,100 deportation officers and more than 750 enforcement removal assistants who are assigned to 24 field offices, according to an agency website.

Former Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol Rodney Scott, who served under both Trump and Biden, said in a previous interview with The Epoch Times that Trump could expand the 287(g) program to help with deportations, as he did during his first term.

Scott was recently nominated by Trump to serve as the incoming Customs and Border Protection commissioner.

He said the 287(g) program also allows the creation of a task force and hybrid model that would enable local and state law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants.

In the blue state of Maryland, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, a longtime Republican, recalls when the task force model was operational in 2008.

“We had deputies on the street that could work at the direction of ICE and with ICE to take into custody people who had deportation warrants and so forth,” Jenkins told The Epoch Times.

Reinstating the task force model would help expedite the deportation of criminals in the country illegally, he said.

The Trump administration could also send representatives to local sheriff departments to recruit them to join the program, he said.

“ICE can’t do it alone, or certainly not enough,” Jenkins said. “We need to be a force multiplier for them.”

Tying federal grant money to sheriff department cooperation with ICE would likely convince many to come on board, he said.

Even if sheriffs don’t participate in arresting illegal immigrants, they could help in other ways, such as providing transportation and logistical support and workspace for ICE, he said.

Jenkins said Frederick County’s jail-based detainer program has been successful, resulting in the removal of about 2,000 illegal immigrant criminals in the county.

Under the 287(g) program, sheriff’s office employees are trained to file a detainer and prepare the paperwork under the supervision of ICE in an effort to streamline the process, he said.

San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, who serves in the nation’s fifth most populous county, has vowed to defy a new county policy to limit cooperation with federal deportation efforts.

Earlier this month, San Diego County supervisors voted to ban its sheriff department from working with ICE on the federal agency’s enforcement of civil immigration laws, including those that allow for deportations.

California law generally prohibits cooperation but makes exceptions for those convicted of certain violent crimes.

Martinez, whose office is nonpartisan but considers herself a Democrat, said she wouldn’t honor the new policy and that the county government doesn’t oversee her office.

“Current state law strikes the right balance between limiting local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities, ensuring public safety, and building community trust,” Martinez said.

In the blue state of Michigan, Barry County Sheriff Dar Lief said it is important to remove violent criminals from the streets.

“I’m on board with that,” he told The Epoch Times.

Lief echoed the belief of Trump and his surrogates during the presidential campaign that many of the illegal immigrants coming into the country were from prison systems or asylums.

“Nonetheless, our governor here asked residents to take in illegal immigrants,” he said. “Who are you opening up your house to?”

Lief said he warned the citizens of Barry County against taking in illegal immigrants, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called “new Americans,” because there was no guarantee they were properly vetted.

Not all blue states or city leaders are against Trump’s deportation plan to remove criminal illegal immigrants.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with Homan recently to discuss deporting illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes in the Democrat-run city.

“We will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts. We don’t do it for those who are citizens, and we’re not going to do it for those who are undocumented,” Adams said during a press conference.

Adams said law-abiding illegal immigrants are welcome in the city. Still, it was a “terrible mistake” to allow those in the country unlawfully to commit violent crimes repeatedly, especially those associated with gangs.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in November during a press conference that she supports “legal” immigrants, including asylum-seekers, but not criminals here illegally or those committing crimes.

“Someone breaks the law—I‘ll be the first one to call up ICE and say, ’Get them out of here,’” she said.

Homan said blue city officials don’t have to cooperate, but he has repeatedly warned them not to stand in his way.

Homan recently announced he would begin deportations in Chicago, criticizing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for resisting the removal of criminal immigrants.

“If he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors and conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him,” Homan said of the Chicago mayor.

Texas Model

Homan said during a visit to the Texas border town of Eagle Pass before Thanksgiving that the state’s operation to stop illegal immigration could become a national model.

He praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, a $10-billion border mission to string razor wire along the border, place buoy barriers in the Rio Grande, help build a border wall, and bus illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities.

The operation consists of Department of Public Safety law enforcement and Texas National Guard members.

The program also focuses on arresting illegal immigrants for trespassing on private ranchland along the border—offering a unique roadmap for how counties could help deport illegal immigrants.

Brent Smith, the county attorney for Kinney County, has plenty of experience dealing with illegal immigrants in his county, which sits along the Texas–Mexico border.

Kinney County has prosecuted the largest number of illegal immigrants for trespass and related misdemeanors under Operation Lone Star.

In 2019 and 2020, the small, rural county dealt with just 254 and 132 misdemeanor cases, respectively, mostly involving U.S. citizens.

The U.S. citizen caseload has remained somewhat constant, but because of illegal immigration, the total number of misdemeanor cases shot up to 6,799 in 2022 and 5,826 in 2023, according to numbers obtained from the county attorney’s office.

Smith told The Epoch Times that trespassing arrests in Kinney County under Operation Lone Star offered valuable lessons on how to run a border security initiative.

At first, funding went to provide law enforcement, but Smith said it became clear that there needed to be more funding for the entire county justice system for prosecutors, public defenders, clerks, and judges to process illegal immigrants charged with trespassing.

“What I foresee is some very strong 287(g) agreements being entered into, and state and local law enforcement actually becoming an arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immigration enforcement,” he said.

He said that after undergoing a DHS training program, local officers are considered immigration officers under the supervision of an ICE agent.

He pointed to former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was known for implementing the 287(g) task force successfully to arrest illegal immigrants in Arizona but came under fire during the Obama administration.

Maricopa County’s 287(g) program was canceled in 2011 after a Department of Justice investigation accused the sheriff of racial profiling.

In 2012, the Obama administration discontinued the task force and hybrid models of the program altogether.

Trump expanded the program in his first term to 150 agreements with local law enforcement and broadened the removal criteria to include misdemeanors.

Under the Biden administration, new 287(g) agreements were paused.

Smith said that once Trump ends the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policy, there will be more “gotaways,” which will require a shift in resources to focus on apprehension instead of processing those claiming asylum.

Money—or the lack of it—will be an essential tool in deportation and border security, he said.

On the state level, he has been discussing a bill with Texas lawmakers that would require sheriffs to apply for 287(g) agreements before receiving state grant funding.

The same principle could be applied to federal grant money for cities such as Chicago, he said.

“How much is your political leanings worth to you? Is it worth $1,000, or $100,000, or $2 million?” he said. “We’re going to find out.”

Mass Deportations: A National Security Priority

According to Homan, mass deportations are a cornerstone of the administration’s immigration strategy. He emphasized that the issue transcends financial considerations, framing it as a matter of national security. The administration aims to ensure strict enforcement of immigration laws, including apprehending illegal aliens in locations previously deemed off-limits such as hospitals and other sensitive areas.

Homan explained that while current policies restrict immigration enforcement in such spaces, exceptions exist in cases involving significant public safety threats or national security issues. These exceptions might become the foundation for expanding enforcement efforts. The administration is actively evaluating ways to address these limits and proceed within the bounds of the law.

Addressing Sanctuary Policies: A Key Roadblock

Sanctuary jurisdictions present an obvious obstacle in the administration’s deportation goals. Currently, 13 states across the United States operate under sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Homan expressed his belief that these policies inadvertently invite more arrests by providing havens for illegal aliens.

His message was firm: if sanctuary policies force agents to look for specific individuals, they may apprehend others during their operations. The result, according to Homan, is an increase in arrests. He stressed that these actions aren’t intended as threats but reflect the natural outcome of enforcing immigration laws in areas unwilling to cooperate.

Economic Pressure on Sanctuary Cities

The administration plans to counter sanctuary jurisdictions using economic measures. Homan revealed that cities refusing to align with federal guidelines could face financial repercussions, including cuts to federal funding. America First Legal, a conservative legal organization, has already notified over 150 elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions about potential legal consequences for obstructing federal law enforcement or harboring illegal aliens.

Homan made it clear that violators—whether they’re public officials or private individuals—will face prosecution if laws are broken. This tough stance is aimed at holding those who interfere with federal enforcement accountable while ensuring the law is upheld.

Tensions Along the Border

San Diego County’s recent decision to become the first sanctuary county in the U.S. highlights the growing divide. While some local leaders have vowed to resist federal actions, others have hesitated to actively block them. Homan shared concerns from southern border sheriffs who feel unprepared to provide additional support for the administration’s plans. Stretching limited resources further seems impractical, given how long these agencies have operated under strain.

The reality is clear—while some counties and sheriffs align with the administration’s priorities, resource constraints could hinder full participation in these efforts.

Looking Ahead

The Trump administration’s immigration strategy sets the stage for a legal and political standoff between federal authorities and sanctuary cities. Homan’s priorities suggest a relentless pursuit of enforcing immigration laws while addressing challenges posed by sanctuary policies, limited resources, and public opposition.

What remains uncertain is how these plans will play out on the ground. Will financial pressure force sanctuary cities to comply, or will legal battles stall these efforts? As the new administration advances its immigration agenda, the coming months will be pivotal in shaping the nation’s approach to enforcement and policy.

Article generated with the assistance of AI.

He released millions of illegal aliens at the border, paroled over a million more using programs Congress never authorized, and allowed at least 2 million more to evade the Border Patrol.

That resulted in the fastest illegal influx in U.S. history. The foreign-born population now exceeds the previous high from the 1890s—over 15%.

The legacy media did its best to hide all this, habitually “gaslighting” their audience—telling many smaller lies in the hopes that eventually people will believe one big lie.

The big lie Biden and his media allies told America is that open borders bring unmitigated good. To prepare the public to swallow this, they told many little lies.

1. They Pretended Legal and Illegal Immigration Are the Same

They aren’t. Congress authorized around 850,000 legal immigrants a year, based on family relationships and labor needs. The millions Biden has paroled, released, or given “temporary” protection to under dubious programs are outside what Congress intended. And unless Congress changes it, the law should be upheld.

2. They Said Illegal Aliens Commit Fewer Crimes Than Americans

The methodology of studies claiming this is suspect, but we know some illegal aliens do commit additional crimes, every one of which is preventable if laws are enforced. One report estimates that “crime by illegal aliens … cost the country some $166.5 billion.” But the cost in victims assaulted or murdered, and a declining sense of public safety, is incalculable.

3. They Told You That All Immigrants Boost the Economy

Which ones? Those under 30 with doctorates in rocket science do. But those without a high school degree, skills, or English don’t. Almost 60% of families headed by an illegal immigrant are on a federal welfare program. Illegal aliens are less educated than U.S. citizens. Over their lifetimes, most of those let in under Biden’s border boom will be a fiscal burden to the country, not a benefit.

4. They Told You Illegal Immigrants Cost Nothing

According to one congressional estimate, illegal immigrants cost over $150 billion a year. To take but one example, the Biden administration wrote a rule forcing Americans to pay for health insurance for people here illegally. “Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obamacare benefits,” said Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, after a federal court overturned Biden’s rule this week.

5. They Told You It Was Inevitable

While the Biden administration undid every effective policy of previous eras, it asked you to believe that mass illegal migration wasn’t its fault. But it was not earthquakes, wars, or feckless governments that attracted the world’s economic migrants to our borders. This week, even The New York Times admitted: “The Biden administration’s policy appears to have been the biggest factor.”

Some of us have been saying that for years. But the legacy media only turned the lights back up when their favorite team lost an election.

The people elected Donald Trump to fix Biden’s mistake. How? The recipe is clear, and with Tom Homan as border czar, the cook is in the kitchen.

1. Reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols

Also known as “Remain in Mexico,” this policy discourages fraudulent asylum claims by keeping applicants outside the U.S. until their claims are decided. We also need to conclude Asylum Cooperative Agreements with every possible country, to deal with refugee claimants closest to their homes.

2. Turn Off the Cash Spigot

Mass movement of people from the Third World to the First is facilitated by the U.N. and globalist elites—elected and unelected. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to bring inadmissible aliens to and into the U.S. We can reverse the polarity of this flow by defunding nongovernmental organizations that facilitate the process and by funding law enforcement.

3. Seal the Border

Authorize Border Patrol to remove or detain illegal entrants, not process and release them. Re-activate lights, sensors, and other measures Biden’s Department of Homeland Security sidelined. Close gaps in the border wall. Barriers don’t stop everyone, but they channel illegal crossing to ports of entry. And, given that both sides of the wall are generally in the United States, we can prosecute anyone cutting or climbing it.

4. Enforce Laws in the US Interior

The Biden administration hamstrung Immigration and Customs Enforcement with prohibitions, arbitrary limits, and paperwork. Biden’s dereliction of duty has created a huge backlog in enforcement, including deportations, that needs a major effort to reduce.

5. Get States on Board

States and cities need to hand over illegal aliens in their custody to federal authorities when asked. They need to stop giving out jobs, driver’s licenses, in-state tuition, welfare, and other benefits to people here illegally.

Biden broke the border. America saw the results and voted accordingly. It’s time to restore the rule of law, the value of American citizenship, and legal immigration that puts Americans first.

Carville’s remarks follow Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts calling out his party on Nov. 10 for attempting to “cancel people rather than having debates about issues that Americans care about” following backlash to his comments regarding transgender athletes competing in female sports. Carville, on “Politics War Room,” accused Democrats of enforcing a tyrannical adherence to their “philosophy” that undermines the party’s electability.

LISTEN:

“Anybody that questions the absolute, unquestionable benefits of transition surgery is going to be called this equivalent of being against civil rights or being against women having the right to vote … somebody can fact-check me, it’s banned in Nordic countries,” Carville said. “I think the liberal Labor government of Britain just passed legislation on that question.”

Norway, Finland, Sweden and the UK have all restricted or banned sex change surgeries, hormones and puberty blockers for children, due to finding that there is insufficient evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs. The UK, which was the latest to ban the use of so-called puberty-blocking drugs on Dec. 11 did so after medical experts warned of an “unacceptable safety risk.”

“But you can’t — if you say the border, we should have had something different — well, that makes you a racist. If you say that we should proceed with caution on this transition surgery … then you’re slammed. And the tyranny of the left is tyranny. And not only tyranny that it causes people grief, it loses us elections, people,” Carville said. “And I got to tell you … there are people that think this, and I’m increasingly agreeing with them.”

“There are a substantial number of people in the Democratic Party — almost exclusively coastal, almost exclusively white, almost exclusively higher-educated — that would rather lose and feel superior about themselves than have to go through the trouble to do the stuff it takes necessary to win an election,” he continued. “And as long as that philosophy is part of the Democratic coalition, it is going to continue to cause unbelievable damage to our electoral prospects. I cannot say it any simpler than that.”

Moulton also said on Dec. 3 that he anticipates he will face a primary challenge due to his criticism of Democrats’ position on transgender athletes, thus failing what he referred to as the “liberal litmus tests.”

“We seem to have a set of liberal litmus tests, and if you don’t meet those litmus tests, then you’re not even allowed to share your opinion,” Moulton said. “I mean, this is the attitude that a lot of Americans feel the Democratic Party takes to the entire country. If you don’t agree with us, then not only are you wrong, but you’re a bad person and these things are not up for debate.”

“I probably will be primaried, and that’s — that just proves my point, is that you can’t speak a sentence that’s out of line and not get backlash from the left, but that’s okay,” he added.

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The book Overrun is a deep dive into how the Biden administration created an illegal migration crisis in only four years.

In recent days I have had time enough to think deeply about what generated this huge mess in a country that had it all. I have a good idea of the whole picture, which I want to share here.

Weaponized migration

However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition that migration can also be deliberately engineered as a tool of political coercion and destabilization.

Under certain contexts, migration can be weaponized, functioning as a form of “slow violence” that inflicts widespread suffering and undermines the stability of states and societies.

The concept of migration as a weapon of mass destruction may seem hyperbolic, but it is grounded in a growing body of evidence. The infiltration of criminal groups in the migration wave is one of the most blatant pieces of evidence.

By systematically targeting civilian populations, undermining state institutions, and provoking social unrest, actors can exploit migration to achieve a spectrum of strategic objectives. These objectives may include territorial expansion, regime change, or distracting attention from domestic problems.

This has been a behavioral pattern, and the free media and social networks continuously unmask it.

We have in recent history two perfect examples: the displacement of Venezuelan migrants, resulting in turmoil in the streets under the government of President Duque (a known enemy of the Venezuelan regime) in 2017-2018. This chaos disappeared once the guerrilla chief Petro and his gang took over the Presidency.

The same pattern was generated in Chile, with such unrest in the streets never seen in years, only to produce problems in the government of President Piñera (compared by the Venezuelan regime with Pinochet, a known dictator). Once again, as President Boric assumed office, all the turmoil ceased, and there has not been a serious demonstration ever since.

Historically, forced migration has been used also as a tool for ethnic cleansing. In the case of the most recent regimes, the rogue States use it to expel opposition and enemies. The Colombian guerrilla expelled and displaced almost 5 million people only to use their territory as a sanctuary. The leftist ideology once exhibited by these groups lost all the “coating” they had. Their real purpose of existing is to serve as guardians of the humungous drug production business and the corresponding trafficking routes.

Which can be considered an act of war.

Demographic changes

The expulsion of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe after World War II, the displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar are all examples of how migration has been used to engineer demographic change and consolidate power.

Sadly, the weaponization of migration has evolved in recent years, with new technologies and globalization facilitating more sophisticated forms of population displacement. It is even considered an “asymmetric” kind of weapon. This term means that smaller and weaker parts can use it against the strong opponents and generate in their territory a massive disruption of normality for a prolonged time.

The Syrian civil war provides a particularly striking example of how migration can be used as a weapon of mass destruction. The Assad regime, with the support of Russia, has employed a range of tactics, including indiscriminate bombing, siege warfare, and the targeting of civilian infrastructure, to force millions of Syrians to flee their homes. This mass displacement has not only created a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions but has also had a destabilizing effect on neighboring countries and Europe.

The weaponization of migration is often facilitated by the failure of states to protect their favorite groups of popular revolts, for instance, (Venezuela’s case) with the complicity of external actors (Turkey, Russia, Iran). It’s not the same controlling a population of 35 million instead of one of 28MM.

Weak or failing states are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, as their inability to provide basic services and security can create conditions that are ripe for mass displacement. Moreover, external actors, such as great powers and regional rivals, may support or even instigate conflict to create refugee flows that can be used as leverage.

Managing the influx

The receiving states need to dedicate resources, time, and money to solve problems that they shouldn’t have in the first place.

Just like Venezuelans experienced first-hand, the international community has been slow to respond to the threat posed by the weaponization of migration. While numerous international legal instruments protect refugees and internally displaced persons, these instruments have often proven inadequate in the face of large-scale displacement crises.

Moreover, the global governance system has been unable to develop effective mechanisms for preventing and responding to the deliberate engineering of migration.

In the article that inspired this entry, Dr. Greenhill explains that both migration and refugee flows are the most significant causes of serious armed conflicts in the post-Cold War period.

It is important to remember that despotic regimes have mostly used forced migration: Cuba in the 1965 and 1994 waves and the most famous “shipping” of Mariel refugees in 1980, including all the imprisoned thugs. Jails were emptied.

In other latitudes, extremist groups and authoritarian governments have used the refugee crisis for their political ends, fostering fear and xenophobia. The Syrian crisis is acknowledged as one of the main drivers of Muslim migration to Europe.

The parallelism of the coercion of Turkey to the European Union with the Venezuelan rule attitude is remarkable. The Turkish officials in charge of the deal to include Turkey in the EU made a rude statement to their counterparts to “face the consequences of migration” if they voted against the incorporation of Turkey into the EU. Of course, opening borders to a creeping dictator like Erdogan is not to be taken lightly.

The Venezuelan regime angrily threatened with the “Bolivarian Hurricane”, and Duque, before 2018, as well as Piñera, had to face serious turmoils, including the destruction of public property.

If there is a book and classroom example of weaponized migration, it is this one.

Another painful example is found in the analogies between the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges that he directed a campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity during the country’s Darfur conflict and certain South American bus driver we all know by now. Mind you, the Horn of Africa deal with the EU included this despotic Sudanese’s demands.

Look at the mess Europe is heading now.

How to deal with the consequences of forced migration in your area

Migration is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that challenges our societies. The situation gets even more complex when it is used by unscrupulous people as a weapon.

The added value of your regular Joe writing life experiences in worldwide media is that you get the real data you need.

Most of the consequences of uncontrolled migration generated in the short term are petty felonies, homelessness, street begging, drugs, and go as far as home squatting, and serious violent crimes.

We Venezuelans have been dealing with these effects for so long that it’s almost automatic to proceed with the installation of gratings and bars on windows, doors, and other openings where an undesired scoundrel could fit through. Padlocks, CCTV cameras, motion sensors, and all these systems are good tools, but there is another dimension with migrants, and I will explain it.

Talking by experience, we humans like to be part of a clan. It’s part of our brain wiring to feel safe between those we share bonds with.

It’s regrettable that those “clans” sometimes can be nosy, and thugs love to band up, too. Most of the time, the good people in the group don´t even know some of the guys hanging out next to them, perhaps were in jail once or a runaway somewhere else.

That’s why it’s so hard to combat these situations. If you suddenly stumble into a band of migrants, the wisest thing to do is avoid confrontation. No matter how resentful you can be, it’s not the moment to show it. Things can get out of control, and all of the “witnesses” will be against you. Politicians would have a field day exploiting all this. Don’t allow your taxes to be wasted on this.

There are some good people in those groups, also. The familiarity with a language or way of behaving is what makes the bonds within a migrant group strong. If you can bypass the crowd and become invisible, so much better. I just watched a video of one of the major concentrations of Venezuelan migrants in Chile, Calle La Puente, Cal y Canto Metro Station. This is the same crowd that once polluted the Caracas downtown and many other places, like the Boulevard, once an emblematic and high-end restaurant and cafe route. If you cross paths with a group of migrants, open your eyes, and don’t show fear or discomfort. Do what you do as usual. Young guys in numbers can be annoying and total j*rks, no matter the origin. Trust me, I know. But it’s not the moment to be a Karen.

If you want to help someone knocking at your door, ask for some references first (and verify them!) before offering landscaping chores or other jobs. If you have been seeing the same people around for some time, it’s because they will stick to a place where there are jobs. That means they probably have a place to stay and can provide an address.

Don’t allow a guy you see for the first time to get into your backyard. That’s dumb, and if the guy steals your Roomba, it means more work on the desk of an officer. Keep your eyes wide open and analyze facts before conceding trust.

We are facing significant challenges from weaponized migration

In conclusion, the weaponization of migration is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that poses a significant challenge to international security, democracy, and human rights. By understanding the mechanisms through which migration can be used as a tool of political coercion, the Americas can develop more effective strategies for prevention, response, and, especially, protection. The actors involved in the weaponized migration need to understand that implications can and will be punished by international law and policy.

Thanks for your reading and your much-needed donations to keep writing and sharing this journey with such a fabulous community.

Stay safe, and keep tuned!

J.

Have you seen evidence of weaponized migration?

Is your area home to a large number of migrants?  Has it caused problems? What other ways do you see this being weaponized?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

About Jose

Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t  go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.

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A report in the New York Post indicated that the outgoing administration intends to launch an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) portal app starting in early December in New York City that will allow migrants to bypass in-person check-ins to their local ICE office.

Insiders raised concerns and warned that the move is a “half-baked” plan that will lead more asylum seekers to abscond.

The app, which is set to be launched soon in the form of a pilot program in select cities, will allow the millions of illegal migrants released into the U.S. to await their asylum proceedings and check in with immigration officials on a phone or computer, two sources familiar with the app revealed.

Department of Homeland Security sources told The Post that the app will make it easier for migrants to flee authorities in part because the software has proven to be glitchy and unreliable.

Even when it’s working correctly, the new app doesn’t check for past arrests or outstanding warrants – something the current system tied to in-person appointments does, sources said.

That’s just one of a handful of initiatives being pushed through before inauguration day – including allowing migrants to contest government orders to undergo electronic tracking while they await their immigration appointments.

The Biden admin is also working to make changes that allow migrants to stay in the United States. In yet another move, while the illegal immigrants wait to plead their asylum cases in immigration courts, they will no longer be required to check in with their local ICE field office every few months.

Critics of the illegal border policies of Biden note that under his presidency the number of migrants illegally crossing the southern border exploded, leading to massive lines and backlogs at ICE field offices. And causing many of the problems that systems are encountering today.

CBP commissioner slams Biden’s last-minute move

Former acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan slammed the Biden administration’s last-minute moves as “the opposite of a peaceful transition of power.”

“This is an obstructionist transition,“ said Morgan. “What they’re trying to do in the last final day, they’re going to try to put up as many roadblocks and obstacles and throw as many grenades as they can on their way out.“

Trump’s move to abolish the new Biden policies could be slowed down by court challenges Morgan said. He added that he believes that these were effective in blunting Trump’s immigration policies in his first administration.

As of early last year, the ICE office was already “fully booked through October 2032“ for appointments to process migrants released into the U.S., according to an official document previously reviewed by The Post. A report from City Hall records there have been more than 223,000 migrants have come to the city since the migrant crisis began — and more than 58,000 are still being cared for by taxpayers in city-funded shelters.

Meanwhile, the new border czar of President-elect Trump is giving better instructions on exactly how the military will be used to aid in the mass deportations of illegal immigrants that the incoming administration has promised.

Tom Homan, who served as the ICE acting director during Trump’s first term, debunked frenzied speculation from some liberals that the military could be deployed to arrest people on U.S. streets – saying that service members would be used for “non-enforcement” duties. (Related: Trump’s new border czar will prioritize finding 300,000 missing migrant children who could be trafficking victims.)

Visit InvasionUSA.news for more stories like this. Watch the video below that talks about Biden administration’s handling of illegal immigration.

This video is from the Trending News channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

• Ramaswamy: DOGE will scrap ENTIRE AGENCIES within the federal government if necessary.
• Stephen Miller, the incoming White House deputy chief of staff, promises “a new golden era” under Trump.
• House Speaker Johnson orders outgoing Biden administration to preserve all records and documents.
• Los Angeles City Council unanimously approves ordinance turning L.A. into a sanctuary city.
• POLL: Majority of Americans support the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

Sources include:

• NYPost.com 1
• NYPost.com 2
• Brighteon.com

The reason should be relatively obvious – Keeping the border open and illegal immigrants flowing into the US is the key to election victory for progressives in the long run.  If leftists are going to exterminate millions of future voters in the womb, then their only other option to fill ballot boxes is to import people from the third world and give them as much free stuff as possible so they’re sure to vote blue.

Democrats have been pushing for a sweeping amnesty for illegals for years.  If they had won the 2024 election by a comfortable margin it’s a certainty that an amnesty would be at the top of their priority list.  The open border policies and sanctuary actions of the political left are in direct violation of US immigration law, but Democrats act as if these laws are a suggestion rather than the rule.  Without federal enforcement squarely in their corner blue cities and states only have one option left – Pretend they have the moral high ground and drum up as much civil unrest as possible.

This might work in deep blue sanctuary cities, but the Trump Administration won the election in a landslide which included the popular vote.  The majority of Americans want deportations and these cities do not have significant national backing.  Despite this fact, some Democrat mayors are threatening to utilize local police forces to obstruct Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston claims the deportation of illegals is “unconstitutional” and he initially threatened to use local law enforcement to block federal agencies from entering the city to carry out migrant arrests.  He ultimately walked these comments back, but only to a point, saying he’s ‘willing to go to jail’ to prevent deportations.

https://twitter.com/VenturaReport/status/1860837567916077463

For leftists the standard procedure is to wait and see how effectively they can use activist groups as a shield and then they change their rhetoric accordingly.  If they can get the mob to show up on the doorsteps of DHS and ICE officials like they did with Supreme Court judges in 2023 then they may feel emboldened to escalate. Johnston seemed to tone down his chest puffing theatrics after incoming Border Czar Tom Homan gave him a reality check.

“You are absolutely breaking the law. All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S. and he would see he’s breaking the law, Homan said flatly. “But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail.”

https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1861285451593900400

Democrats don’t have the testicular fortitude to go into any fight alone, but the deportation debate is within their favorite wheelhouse, which is “resistance against the man”.  For the past four years progressives have had the support of every government institution, almost every corporation and every NGO in the US and abroad, yet, they still tried to pretend they were the underdog fighting a rebellion against an oppressor.  Now they truly are the underdog and they will certainly try to play to that image using the deportation drama as a background.

The Mayor of Tuscon, Regina Romero, has also threatened the use of local police to obstruct deportation arrests.  Her messaging is once again centered on the claim that deportations of illegals are a violation of higher moral standards.  The law and the will of the voters must therefore take a back seat to the superior virtues of the progressive ideology.

https://twitter.com/DrewHLive/status/1861961466309701883

It should be noted that members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have been intercepted in Denver County and in Cochise County just east of Tuscon.  They are specifically organizing in sanctuary cities with lax immigration standards, and they often recruit from illegal migrant shelters already in these areas.

Multiple blue cites have stated publicly that they intend to refuse help to immigration agents during deportations.  This includes the catch and release of violent criminals in order to prevent their arrest by ICE.  In other words, Democrats would rather see rapists and murders back on the streets than hand them over to Trump.  The thought process here seems utterly insane, but again, it makes perfect sense when one realizes how much time and energy Democrats have invested in their amnesty model.

Without a massive third world voting block bought off with US tax dollars, it’s unlikely that progressives will win another election for a very long time.

Following Trump’s election win, the former president announced Homan as his new “border czar,” saying that the former ICE director would “be in charge of all deportations of illegal aliens back to their country of origin.” On “The Ingraham Angle,” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham played a clip of Democratic Tucson Mayor Regina Romero stating that she is “unwavering” in her commitment to “protecting and serving Tucsonans,” calling the deportation plans “cruel and immoral.”

“Well, first of all, what’s cruel about it? We have a massive illegal immigration flow on the border, historic flows that overwhelm the Border Patrol, sex trafficking up 600%, 250,000 dead Americans from Fentanyl. We got a record number of known suspected terrorists and people on the terrorist watch lists crossing the border,” Homan said. “We got children dying on the border every day. We got women being sexually assaulted by the cartels every day. Someone’s going to die on the border tonight. Women are being raped on the border tonight.”

“So what’s cruel about securing that border and saving lives, first of all? But I’ll give her the same warning I’m giving the rest of the sanctuary city mayors and the governors. You can not help us. That’s fine. You should get the hell out of the way. We’re going to do the job,” Homan added.

Homan went on to say that Trump has promised Americans that his first priorities will address public and national security threats, warning Democratic officials not to get in the way of the federal government.

“President Trump has said public safety threats and national security threats will be the priority right out of the gate. I can’t believe there’s any elected official that doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities. Their number one responsibility is protecting the communities. So if they’re not going to do it, we’ll do it for them,” Homan said. “You can not help, but don’t impede us and don’t not knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien from ICE, because that is a felony.”

“We got one hell of an attorney general coming in, Pam Bondi. I think she will read that statute the same way I do it. I’m not a lawyer, but I can read. We’re going to have consequences of people who violate the law and try to prevent us from doing our job,” Homan said.

In addition to Romero’s warning to Trump, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston vowed Thursday to resist the president’s plans, claiming that the city’s police and residents will push back. Others, like the Los Angeles City Council, approved an ordinance on Nov. 19 declaring the city a “sanctuary city,” preventing the use of local resources for immigration enforcement and prohibiting city agencies from sharing information to federal authorities about illegal immigrants.

Despite the pushback, Trump confirmed on Nov. 18 that he plans to declare a national emergency, using military assets to assist in his deportation operation.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News/”The Ingraham Angle”)

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In response to Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton’s post on Truth Social that Trump was “prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program,” Trump replied “TRUE!!”

“On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program … in the history of our country,” Trump said at one of his final campaign events in Pittsburgh on Nov. 4, a day before the election. “I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded … and we will put the vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail.”

Officially, there are an estimated 11 million illegal migrants living in the US (and some say upwards of 20 million) who entered the country during the Biden administration. Trump has tapped Tom Homan, former acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to serve as his “border czar,” as well as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the border and expel those living in the country illegally.

Homan said last weekend that he will prioritize “the worst first” in targeted deportations.

Immigration advocates, meanwhile, are preparing to counter Trump in court, Axios reports.

“We’re ready to fight” mass raids and deportations “both at the legal level, at the advocacy level, and (by) going to the streets,” according to Maribel Hernández Rivera, director of policy and government affairs for border and immigration at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

“One of the things that we strongly believe is that when the American people realize what this threat means, they’re not going to go for it.”

That said, Trump’s team is looking to craft executive orders that can withstand legal challenges in order to avoid a similar defeat to his first-term Muslim ban, Politico reports. The incoming administration also plans to end the parole program for undocumented immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Trump’s 2017 executive order on border security, signed on Jan. 25, 2017, directed the Department of Homeland Security to close the border and to take several other immediate steps, including building more sections of the U.S.–Mexico border wall and adding 5,000 Border Patrol agents.

That initial order also called for revamping the way that the government handled illegal immigrants’ asylum claims, detentions, and deportations.