Staff Reports
The critics of President-elect Trump’s bold plan to enlist the military in the fight against illegal immigration are up in arms, waving the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 like a flag of surrender. This age-old law, which restricts the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement, is suddenly the darling of the progressive set, who seem to have found a new religion in legalese. But upon closer examination, the reality is that their panic might be much ado about nothing.
It turns out that the Posse Comitatus Act is more flexible than its critics would like to admit. While it’s true that the military can’t just roll into towns and start making arrests like they’re on a cross-country tour de force, there are exceptions written into the law that make the situation murkier than a swamp in Louisiana. The military has been used for certain domestic operations before, especially when it comes to protecting states or aiding overwhelmed law enforcement. So, just maybe, there’s room for a little creative interpretation when lives and border security are on the line.
Is it against the law for Trump to use the military to deport illegal migrants? Maybe not https://t.co/Tps1SkK0WY pic.twitter.com/NXGMzgVohL
— NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) November 22, 2024
Supporters of the Trump plan argue that America faces a national emergency with illegal immigration and that the military’s involvement is more than warranted. With apprehensions at the southern border skyrocketing, the idea of deploying troops to assist local law enforcement could be seen as a necessary step in regaining control. After all, if the military can be sent overseas to tackle foreign threats, why shouldn’t they help clean up the mess right at home?
The wailing from the left doesn’t stop at the Posse Comitatus Act, however. Critics are already chanting about the “militarization of the police” as if it were a modern-day witch hunt. They seem blissfully unaware that America has had military assistance in various scenarios—like natural disasters or significant riots—without the whole country descending into chaos. The “militarization” scare tactic looks more like a feeble attempt to rally the troops on their side than a genuine concern for civil liberties.
It’s pretty clear that at its core, the opposition to the military’s role in deportation efforts might just be a smoke screen. The left loves to paint themselves as the champions of the downtrodden, but they seem far less interested in the legal citizens of this country who are frustrated by unchecked immigration policies. With record numbers of illegal entries occurring, the idea that more hands on deck—especially those trained in strategy and security—is becoming less of a nightmare and more of a pragmatic approach to a real problem. If only they could take off their blindfolds, they might just see that keeping the borders secure is actually a bipartisan issue, as long as you don’t mind a few tanks being involved in the catch-and-release game.
