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Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, has downplayed the role of the military in upcoming deportation efforts.
Donalds insists that federal and local law enforcement agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will lead the deportations. He emphasizes that the focus will be on immigrants with criminal convictions and those who have legal deportation orders but remain in the country.
The representative maintains that military assets will only be used as a last resort, mainly for logistical support. He dismisses the idea of troops conducting door-to-door searches, stating it will not occur.
Donalds predicts that the deportation efforts, coupled with stricter border enforcement, will prompt some undocumented immigrants to leave the country voluntarily to avoid deportation, which carries a 10-year ban on re-entry.
He believes the Trump administration’s policies will deter illegal immigration by reducing the incentives for coming to the United States.