Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voiced strong support for President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious deportation agenda while raising concerns about the optics and legality of using military assets to enforce immigration laws. Appearing on CBS’s Face The Nation, Paul made it clear he stands with Trump’s vision to crack down on illegal immigration but urged reliance on law enforcement agencies like ICE and the Border Patrol instead of military forces.
“I’m 100 percent supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, rapists, all these people,” Paul said. “Let’s send them on their way to prison or back home to another prison. But you don’t do it with the Army because it’s illegal.”
Trump has floated the possibility of declaring a national emergency to leverage military assets for deportations, citing the disastrous border policies under President Biden that allowed a historic surge of illegal crossings. Trump’s nominee for White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, reinforced the commitment: “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history.”
While Paul endorsed the mission, he warned against militarizing immigration enforcement. “I don’t think it’s the best way to do it,” he said, noting that the National Guard’s involvement has historically been limited to logistics like building fences and monitoring crossings. “Typically, it has to be done at the behest of the governors. I still don’t like a militarization of police, whether it’s National Guard or Army.”
Paul also emphasized the importance of constitutional safeguards, arguing that domestic law enforcement agencies are better suited for the task without raising Fourth Amendment concerns.
Trump’s plans for mass deportations have broad public support. A recent CBS/YouGov poll showed 57% of Americans back his proposal, with a staggering 82% favoring ICE and Border Patrol to carry out the operation. This overwhelming approval is yet another slap in the face to Democrats, who’ve spent years insisting Americans are eager for open borders and amnesty.
Trump’s strategy is a bold, decisive answer to the chaos Biden created at the border. While Democrats continue to clutch their pearls over “optics,” Trump is focused on real solutions that protect Americans. Rand Paul’s concerns about military involvement are valid, but the overall message is clear: the American people want law and order restored.
Trump’s mandate to secure the border and deport criminals is as much about safety as it is about sovereignty. Democrats can whine about feelings, but facts matter. Criminal illegal immigrants have no business being in this country, and Trump’s commitment to mass deportations reflects the will of the people.
The left may fear a Trump-led deportation operation, but their greatest terror should be the return of a government that actually listens to its citizens and enforces the law. Trump is ready to lead, and Democrats, as usual, are left sputtering with no solutions of their own.
