Trump Administration Militarizes Deportations Across Multiple States

President Donald Trump has endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's plan to deputize National Guard troops as immigration judges at the newly opened 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center in the Florida Everglades, aiming to expedite deportation proceedings amid a backlog of 3.5 million immigration cases. The facility, heavily criticized by Democrats for its inhumane conditions and environmental concerns, represents a militarized and aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, including the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and federal agents to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Trump’s administration is pursuing a strategy that includes broadening deportation targets to include U.S. citizens, raising alarms among experts about authoritarian overreach and violations of legal norms. Meanwhile, Trump has promoted the concept of 'remigration,' encouraging migrants to return to their home countries through various means, including cutting benefits and drawing lessons from European models that offer financial incentives for voluntary departures. Critics highlight the harshness of these policies, describing them as ethnic cleansing, with reports of individuals being deported without due process and the stripping of citizenship rights. This intensified immigration crackdown underscores the administration's prioritization of rapid deportations and expanded ICE budgets, despite widespread opposition and concerns about human rights abuses.