Rand Paul opposes using military for mass deportations: 'It's a terrible image'

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Sunday in an interview that he opposes using the military for mass deportations.

“What we know now about the immigration authorities who would have to be charged with rounding these individuals up, there are just 6,000 agents, 41,000 detention beds to carry out the assignment of rounding up millions of undocumented people, potentially. How do you suggest they implement it?” CBS News’s “Face the Nation” anchor Margaret Brennan asked Paul.

“And if this is a red line for you, in terms of using the military, would you vote no on the DHS Secretary Kristi Noem?” she added, referring to President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities. I think it's a terrible image,” Paul replied. 

On Monday, Trump signaled that his administration may use military assets to help him fulfill his mass deportation pledge.

Trump responded "TRUE!!!" to a Truth Social post from Tom Fitton, head of the conservative group Judicial Watch, who wrote that the incoming administration is "prepared to declare a national emergency and will use military assets to reverse the Biden invasion through a mass deportation program."

Trump transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has also said the president-elect “will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families.”

In his “Face the Nation” appearance, Paul said that he doesn’t “recommend to use the army” in the deportations, but he “would use the FBI, I would use [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], I would use Border Patrol.”

“If they send the army into New York, and you have 10,000 troops marching, carrying semiautomatic weapons, I think it's a terrible image, and I will oppose that. But it's not that I oppose removing people,” Paul said later.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.