A former Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director said a leaked plan to have private contractors help the Donald Trump administration carry out its mass deportation efforts would likely face different legal challenges, making it unlikely to move forward.
John Sandweg, acting ICE director between 2013 and 2014, told Politico that some of the plan's initiatives, like deputizing private citizens to help with immigration enforcement, would be "subject to an immediate injunction by a court."
Other proposals of the plan spearheaded by Erik D. Prince, founder of the private military contractor formerly known as Blackwater, include several "processing camps" on military bases, a private fleet of planes and bounties for law enforcement agents for every detention.
The project also claims it would be able to carry out all deportations before the 2026 midterms, something all other assessments have deemed highly unlikely given logistical and legal challenges. The document recognizes the challenges posed by the figure, outright suggesting the Trump administration won't be able to do it without private help. It claims that in order to deport 12 million people a "600% increase in activity" would be needed. And since it's "unlikely that the government could swell its internal ranks to keep pace with this demand" the government "should enlist outside assistance."
Prince's project claims it would have an estimated price tag of $25 billion, a fraction of what reports have shown deporting all undocumented people in the country would cost.
The outlet added that top White House officials are engaged in conversations with military contractors as Republicans scramble to find resources to continue with the immigration crackdown.
The document surfaces as Trump is seemingly frustrated with the current pace of deportations, removing acting Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Caleb Vitello last Friday.
However, Bill Mathews, the former chief operating officer of Blackwater, said the group has not been contacted since submitting the White Paper. "There has been zero show of interest or engagement from the government and we have no reason to believe there will be," he added.
Senate Republicans voted on Friday to pass Trump's $340 billion budget spending bill that will help fund his mass deportation agenda, along with his plans for energy production and the military.
The bill will reserve $175 billion for border security, which comes following comments from Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan that there previously weren't sufficient funds to complete his proposed operation, which included building a border wall between the U.S and Mexico.
Originally published on Latin Times
