Trump to use Military for Deportations

The National Desk

Thomas Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice as Border Czar stated that military troops would be a “force multiplier” in deportations. The Trump administration’s plan to declare a national emergency and use active-duty U.S. military personnel to help with the mass deportation of undocumented migrants appears to be similar to the support role that troops provided along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 and 2019, during the first Trump administration. 

Homan stressed that the troops would be carrying out “non-enforcement duties.” In other words, military personnel will not be participating in arrests as sources claim the administration will initially focus on rounding up criminals and undocumented Chinese nationals. 

 “They’ll be used to do non-enforcement duties such as transportation, whether it’s on the ground or air, infrastructure, building, intelligence,” Homan stated. He envisioned the military possibly assisting in flights taking detainees back to their home countries. “We’re hoping that DOD (Department of Defense) will help us with air flights, because there’s a limited number of planes ICE contracts with, so DOD can certainly help with flights all across the globe,” he added.   

A statement was issued by Anthony Romero,  Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

“We are crystal clear that the next Trump administration will do everything in its power to make mass deportation raids a reality.

“As we ready litigation and create firewalls for freedom across blue states, we must also sound the alarm that what’s on the horizon will change the very nature of American life for tens of millions of Americans.

“President-elect Trump will soon have the full power of the U.S. government machinery at his disposal to target and displace immigrants at a scale our nation has never experienced.” 

      Musk Touts $2 Trillion 

       Cut in Fed Spending

     Multi-billionaire boss of Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media site X, Elon Musk, suggested at a Trump rally in NYC that it would be possible to cut “at least $2 trillion” from US government spending by “eradicating waste.” 

     Musk’s recent appointment, by President-elect Trump, to co-head a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), along with fellow Billionaire businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, would give him the opportunity to put his plan into action. 

     Musk, currently the richest man in the world, is apparently taking aim at cutting public broadcasting and international aid, as well as a bureaucracy that represents, according to him, an “existential threat” to US democracy. He would also work to slash federal regulations and make major administrative changes, including ending work-from-home for Fed employees.

     “We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in their most detailed remarks since Trump named them heads of the new federal agency. “Reductions in regulations would pave the way for mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy. With a decisive electoral mandate and a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government,” the two billionaires concluded.   

     In the most recent fiscal year,the US federal government spent $6.75 trillion according to the US Treasury. This means Musk’s proposed cuts of $2 trillion would represent around 30% of total federal government spending. At this time, analysts calculate that entire agencies, from Transport to Agriculture to Homeland Security, would have to be entirely shut down under Musk’s plan. 

     Musk has not specified if he would aim to deliver the $2 trillion in savings in a single year, or over a longer period, but many US public finance experts, including those who are in favor in principle of reductions in US government spending, are

skeptical savings on such a scale can be found in the near term without either a collapse in the delivery of important government functions or sparking major public resistance.  

     It could very well be a rocky road to success for DOGE. Trump and Musk are indeed two combustible personalities with some past policy differences which could pave the way to a certain amount of blast off friction between them as they ascend into the realities of political life in DC and try to drain a swamp that very few in Washington want to be drained. 

    Small Business Still Hurting

     Small business owners say they are still hurting financially with the hangover effects of inflation, rising lease costs, rising costs from manufacturers, and a labor shortage coupled with rising costs of labor, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses’s most recent monthly survey. Many point to a weakening consumer demand as a reason to feel less optimistic. 

     Despite cooling inflation, record highs in the stock market and a robust GDP, small business owners do not seem to be sharing in the gains. 

     Recent national data has hinted to the  beginning of a pullback in spending by Americans. US retail sales which fell 0.8% earlier in the year have shown gains of 0.4% in recent months. Nevertheless, those gains have been powered mostly by strong auto sales. The overall picture is a mixed bag as electronics and appliance stores (+2.3%) along with restaurants and bars (+0.7%) showed gains, which could be attributed to higher prices. On the other hand furniture stores, clothing outlets and drug stores registered negative growth.  

     “It does seem that businesses are having a more challenging time passing down higher costs to the consumer,” said Charles Dougherty, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. “Small businesses actually make up the vast majority of business establishments in the United States economy, so they are at the forefront of what’s happening in terms of economic activity.”

     A recent poll of 3,000 small business owners by small business network Alignable shows 86% reporting being hurt by high costs with only 6% saying they are thriving and not struggling. In addition, 79% say that taxes have hurt their business and 76% say current regulations have also been detrimental to their businesses.

     Small businesses drive almost half of US economic activity, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. 

     Over the past few years, Americans have experienced some of the steepest price hikes in decades. The ConsumerPrice Index, a measure of prices paid by consumers, peaked at 9.1% in June of 2022, and since then it has been steadily falling. The latest reading shows them rising by 3.1%, closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target. 

      President-elect Trump’s promise to drastically raise tariffs does not appear to be an overall positive sign in the fight against inflation but there may be better days ahead spurred on by lower interest rates and the Trump administration’s business friendly policies that include deregulation.

     “Small businesses may be delayed in feeling the effect of easing inflation, but once businesses experience more prolonged stable prices, that may help their sentiment to turn around,” said Wells Fargo’s Dougherty.

     A recent survey of American Express small business customers indicated that some small business owners see strength in 2025. Half of the small businesses surveyed said they plan to grow or expand their business in the upcoming year.

     The latest retail sales figures indicate the economy is starting to grow again. Analysts envision a solid upcoming holiday shopping season. 

            L.A. Stands with 

        Sanctuary City Status

     In defiance of President-elect Trump’s promised mass deportation of immigrants in the country who are here illegally, the Los Angeles City Council tentatively backed a “Sanctuary City” law that forbids city employees and resources from being involved in federal immigration enforcement.

     The law would not stop the federal government from carrying out mass deportations in Los Angeles. It is intended to signal that City Hall is standing with its large immigrant population in a deep-blue city already well-known for resisting Donald Trump.

     In addition, the Los Angeles School Board affirmed the nation’s second-largest school system as a sanctuary for immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.

     “We know there is a target on our back from this President-elect,” stated Council member Bob Blumenfield, who represents the central San Fernando Valley. “We are hardening our defenses.”

     The law was passed unanimously and will be reviewed by the city’s attorney office.

       Malcolm X Family Sues 

           FBI, CIA & NYPD

     The family of murdered black civil rights activist Malcolm X is suing the FBI, CIA and the New York police department (NYPD) for $100 million, accusing them of having a role in his death.

     The lawsuit claims the agencies were involved in the plot and failed to stop the killing. 

     “We believe that they all conspired to assassinate Malcolm X, one of the greatest thought leaders of the 20th century,” stated Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who is representing the family, at a news conference held at the Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in New York. 

     Malcolm X was killed in 1965 when three armed men shot him 21 times as he was preparing to speak in New York.

     “A corrupt, unlawful and unconstitutional relationship between law enforcement and the ruthless killers allowed for the murder,” the lawsuit alleges. “A link between the agencies and the killers went unchecked for many years and was actively concealed, protected and facilitated by government agents.” 

     The lawsuit also alleges that federal agents, including undercover operatives, were in the ballroom during the assassination and took no steps to intervene.

      Malcolm X was a lead spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, which advocated separatism for Black Americans, before his acrimonious split from the organization. He was 39 when he was killed.