President-Elect Trump Eyes Federal And Local Resources For Sweeping Immigration Policy Overhaul

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will place him in a position to act on his campaign promises on immigration policies, which will include deportation of millions of undocumented people from the U.S. each year.

And, it looks like he will be using obscure laws, military funding, and support from various government levels to crack down on immigration, Axios reported.

Trump also reportedly plans to mobilize the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents alongside the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, federal prosecutors, the National Guard, and even state and local law enforcement officers to carry out deportations.

The president-elect has frequently emphasized anti-immigrant views in his campaigns, often describing immigration as a threat to the country.

Meanwhile, the plans' financial cost was unclear, as many doubt Trump would actually deliver on his campaign promises. Previously, Trump had made promises to deport illegal migrants in massive numbers but these deportations numbers were lesser than what the United States witnessed under former President Barack Obama.

However, Trump's approach could have a huge impact on communities and economies across the country, potentially creating an atmosphere of fear among the millions of people without legal status.

Analysts noted that the human impact of Trump's plan could be felt across the country, as not only families, but local economies, employers, and more will be involved.

It is worth noting that an increase in deportations has damaged some local economies. In 2011, several crops in Alabama remained unharvested and spoiled after the state passed an anti-immigrant law and the then Obama-administration cracked down on immigrants.

According to the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, David J. Bier, employers, community leaders, and churches would also go against Trump's plans, as there will be resistance from Democratic-led states, well-organized Latino advocacy groups, and "sanctuary cities," unlike past mass deportations.

U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia from Texas said she would join any lawsuit or action challenging Trump's plan, Axios reported. At the same time, Texas' strict actions on the border and support from other Republican-led states suggest that Trump could still have some allies at the state level for his program.

The president-elect's plan could bring back scenes similar to the 1950s when about 1.3 million undocumented Mexican immigrants were detained and deported using military-style tactics under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

This era marked the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, something most Americans today have never witnessed. It even mistakenly included some Mexican Americans who were U.S. citizens, according to federal immigration records.

Experts believe the actual number of people affected could have been even higher.