Senator Rand Paul Criticizes Use of Military for Deportations, Citing Legal Concerns
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed his support for the deportation of undocumented immigrants involved in criminal activities but rejected President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to involve the U.S. military in mass deportations. Paul stated on Sunday that such action would be illegal.
Immigration was a cornerstone of Trump’s campaign, during which he pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. On Monday, Trump reiterated his commitment to this plan, indicating that his administration might declare a national emergency to facilitate mass deportations, potentially involving the U.S. military.
Speaking on CBS News' *Face the Nation*, Paul addressed host Margaret Brennan, emphasizing his stance on targeting criminal noncitizens. “I am 100% supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers and 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators—rapists and others,” Paul said. “Let’s send them to prison or deport them. But you don’t use the army for this. It’s illegal, and historically, we’ve distrusted deploying the military on domestic soil.”
Paul referenced a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report detailing convictions among noncitizens. However, his figures were slightly off, as ICE reported 13,099 murder convictions and 15,811 sexual assault convictions over several decades.
The senator underscored the importance of adhering to constitutional safeguards, such as the Fourth Amendment. “Police understand the need for warrants and judicial oversight. Deportations should proceed through established law enforcement channels,” Paul stated.
Margaret Brennan noted the logistical challenges of mass deportations, highlighting that ICE employs only 6,000 agents and has 41,000 detention beds. She asked Paul how he envisioned implementing the plan.
Paul opposed using the military or National Guard, saying, “I will not support or vote for deploying the military in our cities. It’s a terrible image and undermines civilian authority.” Instead, he advocated for utilizing the FBI, ICE, and Border Patrol to manage deportations.
He dismissed the idea of militarizing domestic operations, even through the National Guard, adding, “It’s unclear whether that’s entirely legal, but it’s not the best approach.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut also criticized Trump’s plan, arguing it would violate the Insurrection Act. The act permits military deployment on U.S. soil only in extreme cases of public disorder. Blumenthal told *The New York Times*, “If there’s no substantial threat to public order, such use of the military would be illegal.”
Blumenthal and other lawmakers are exploring measures to clarify the limits of the Insurrection Act to prevent its misuse.
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