Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has voiced strong opposition to using the U.S. military to enforce deportation measures, emphasizing that immigration enforcement should remain the responsibility of domestic law enforcement agencies on Newsmax Tuesday.
Paul, a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, criticized the idea of deploying the military to enforce immigration policies, calling it a "terrible image" for the United States.
In an interview on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Paul addressed reports that President-elect Donald Trump or his spokesman suggested declaring an emergency to involve the military in deportation efforts.
"That's what he said yesterday, or his spokesman said. The stories all said he would declare an emergency to use the military to remove people. I'm not for that," Paul stated.
"I'm not in favor of sending the Army in uniforms into our cities to collect people," Paul said. "That's not what we use our military for; we never have. And it's actually been illegal for over 100 years to bring the Army into our cities."
Paul underscored that the military's purpose is distinct from domestic law enforcement.
"Our Army and our military are trained to shoot the enemy. They're not trained to get a warrant to do what they're doing," he said, adding that "the police have a difficult job, but the people removing people from our country need to be a police enforcement domestic agency, not the military."
"I'm not in favor of sending the Army in uniforms into our cities to collect people. I think it's a terrible image," he said.
The senator advocated for prioritizing the deportation of undocumented individuals who have committed violent crimes. Citing statistics, Paul noted that the U.S. is harboring approximately 15,000 individuals who have committed murder and 13,000 who have committed violent sexual crimes.
"Why don't we put out an all-points bulletin, and when we have them removed, I think we start there. We'll be fine," he said.
Paul further criticized the broader use of presidential emergencies, describing them as undermining congressional authority and checks and balances.
"They smack of martial rule. They smack of no congressional approval," he warned.
While supporting strong immigration enforcement, Paul urged caution in implementing extreme measures. "The American people will be behind him 100% if he goes immediately after the people that have committed crimes," he said, advocating a staged approach focusing first on individuals who pose clear risks to public safety.
He also expressed reservations about targeting long-term undocumented residents who have integrated into American society.
"The housekeeper who's been here 30 years — I don't see the military putting her in handcuffs and marching her down the street to an encampment," Paul said. Instead, he proposed expanding work permits for certain individuals while denying them voting rights.
Paul concluded by advising conservatives to temper their support for drastic actions involving the military.
"We, as conservatives who are supportive of Trump, need to caution him about sending the army into our cities," he said. "It's a terrible image to send the world, and it's a terrible image for us as citizens."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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