(DCNF)—President-elect Donald Trump will immediately crack down on border security and interior immigration enforcement upon his return to office, immigration experts and other allies of the upcoming administration say.
Trump decisively won re-election to the White House, having secured 295 electoral votes and drawing more than 73 million supporters to the voting booth on Election Day, per the latest results as of Friday. The victory brings into sharper focus his campaign platform, which includes incredibly hawkish border security proposals.
The president-elect, who already established himself as a stalwart on border enforcement during his first term in office, made a slate of campaign promises on border security over the past year, such as completing the U.S.-Mexico border wall, reviving the Remain in Mexico program, bringing back the travel ban and hiring more Border Patrol agents.
Trump also introduced a number of more novel pledges while on the campaign trail, such as a vow to conduct the “largest deportation program in American history” and a plan to end birthright citizenship for those born on American soil by illegal migrant parents.
Trump’s rhetoric and past reputation may have already helped mitigate the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Upon hearing that he was elected to a second term, numerous migrants in southern Mexico expressed hopelessness and opted to leave a U.S.-bound caravan they were traveling in, with a Mexican official noting that the incoming caravan of roughly 3,000 migrants shrunk by roughly half its size after Trump declared victory.
Immigration experts who spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation, while cautioning that anti-borders groups will fight the upcoming administration tooth and nail, said the American people can certainly expect a return to the tough immigration measures that were seen in Trump’s first term.
“America can expect the new Trump administration to do what the prior Trump Administration did: To apply the Immigration and Nationality Act, as written by Congress. And to restore the rule of law, both to the Southern border and to the legal immigration system,” said Matt O’Brien, investigations director at the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), a conservative legal group in Washington, D.C., that pushes for stricter immigration policies.
“The overall goal will be protecting the public safety and national security of the United States; as well as protecting migrants — especially vulnerable women and children — from exploitation by smugglers and traffickers,” O’Brien continued. “The only thing that needs to be done to ‘fix’ the immigration system is to use the laws on the books as Congress intended. And President Trump will do that.”
As for laws set by Congress, several lawmakers in the House and Senate told the DCNF that they are ready and waiting with their own legislation once Trump re-enters the Oval Office.
Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, said he looks forward to passing his Justice for Jocelyn Act in the next Congress, an homage to a 12-year-old Houston girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered in June by two illegal migrants. The bill would mandate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “exhaust all reasonable efforts” to keep an illegal migrant in custody before releasing them into the interior of the country, according to the legislation.
Should an illegal migrant be released, however, the legislation would call for continuous GPS monitoring until their removal from the U.S. or the completion of their immigration proceedings. Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls has sponsored the same legislation on the House side.
“In a second Trump administration, the House Committee on Homeland Security will do everything possible to help the United States return to an era of secure borders and robust interior enforcement,” GOP Rep. Mark Green, who serves as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, stated to the DCNF. “Ending the Biden-Harris border crisis will require two things — policy changes to end the flow of inadmissible aliens into our country, and more funding for interior enforcement to demonstrate that there are consequences to entering illegally.”
The election results so far show Congress will likely be in a position to support the upcoming Trump administration’s immigration agenda. The GOP secured control of the Senate after flipping four different Senate seats, and while there is no definitive winner of the House majority yet, Republicans appear to have a slight edge as votes continue to trickle in.idential nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) tours the U.S. Border Wall on August 01, 2024 in Montezuma Pass, Arizona. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
While it’ up for debate on exactly what bills Trump ultimately signs into law or executive orders he takes, it’s certain that the incoming president will face courtroom fights over whatever he decides to do.
“Any action that President Trump would take, someone is going to sue,” Eric Ruark, research director for NumbersUSA, stated to the DCNF about the expected barrage of court challenges the Trump administration will receive once it embarks on its immigration agenda. “It depends on whether you find a judge that will rule against him, and it may take a long time for these things to play out.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed more than 400 legal actions against Trump and his administration since 2016, according to their count, and these lawsuits targeted a vast number of his first term’s immigration priorities. The massive liberal organization, and others like it, say they’re ready to battle the Republican again now that he will be returning to office.
Even President Joe Biden, who entered office on a pledge to undo Trump’s hawkish border policies, was sued by immigrant rights groups when he finally attempted to end the illegal immigration crisis by issuing an executive order in June that largely shut down crossings at the southern border.
The Biden-Harris administration oversaw record-levels of border encounters during its time in office, with illegal border crossings in fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 being the worst in history, according to CBP data. The border crisis began after the administration in its first year took nearly 90 executive actions that specifically targeted Trump’s first-term immigration policies.
While some of Trump’s more ambitious goals will take time and likely endure legal challenges, there are swift administrative actions that the president-elect will likely take on day one of his administration, Ruark noted.
“Ending the parole abuse,” he said, referring to the CHNV program and others like it that have paroled into the U.S. more than half a million foreign nationals during the Biden administration. Around 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans have been flown into the country under the CHNV initiative.
“On day one I think he would end those parole programs,” Ruark said. “And people who come in under parole were being allowed — and I guess they still are — to sponsor other people to come in, which is a complete violation of the law. So that is something Trump can end on day one.”
He also listed the termination of the CBP One app — which has allowed roughly one million foreign nationals to schedule appointments at ports of entry since it was first rolled out — and the withholding of federal funds from sanctuary cities as other unilateral actions that Trump will likely embark on immediately.
A successful immigration agenda will also hinge in large part on cooperation from Mexico, which stands in between the U.S. southern border and the countless illegal migrants who wish to cross it every year. The former Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, ramped up his government’s crackdown on U.S.-bound illegal migration, giving relief to Biden as he dealt with historic border encounters.
Claudia Sheinbaum, Lopez Obrador’s successor, took office in October, but questions remain on how the leftist Mexican leader will get along with Trump. Sheinbaum on Thursday confirmed that she had a “cordial” phone call with the president-elect following his victory, but did not go into further detail on what was discussed. A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign declined to comment on what was said during the phone call when reached by the DCNF.
Regardless of legal pushback by liberal organizations or a lack of cooperation from his Mexican counterparts, immigration experts do anticipate Trump to be even tougher on immigration than he was in his first term.
“I would be surprised and very disappointed if not,” Ruark said.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
