United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed his intention to declare a national emergency on border security, leveraging US military resources to execute mass deportation of undocumented migrants.

Immigration became a central issue during Trump's Presidential campaign, with promises to deport millions and tighten the US-Mexico border after record-breaking migrant crossings under President Joe Biden's administration.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump reasserted a post by a conservative activist declaring that he is "prepared to declare a national emergency" to reverse what the activist called the "Biden Invasion". Trump reinforced this statement with a succinct reply "True!"

Following his 5 November victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has moved swiftly to appoint staunch immigration hardliners to his cabinet. He named former acting immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief Tom Homan as his "border czar".

At the Republican National Convention, Homan warned, "I got a message to the millions of illegal immigrants that Joe Biden released in our country: you better start packing now."

Although Trump has not provided specific details of his strategy, he has proposed invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations. Critics argue the law, last used during World War II to intern Japanese-Americans, is outdated and poses significant risks to civil liberties.

Authorities estimate that approximately 1.1 crore undocumented individuals currently reside in the United States, with Trump’s mass deportation plan expected to impact around 2 crore families directly.

While the US-Mexico border saw a record 2.5 lakh migrant encounters in December 2023, recent data shows illegal crossings have returned to levels similar to 2020, the final year of Trump’s first term.

As Trump finalizes his immigration agenda, debates over its legality, morality, and social implications are set to dominate the political discourse of the United States of America.