The Trump administration is considering turning to funding from the Department of Defense to expand the capacity for immigrant arrests and deportations in the United States. The strategy would involve hiring civilian contractors to rapidly scale up temporary facilities, such as tented detention centers, as well as providing equipment and transportation between places of detention. This plan could also increase the availability of aircraft and personnel for deportations, significantly expanding the reach of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, according to NBC News.

Despite previous efforts, the Trump administration has failed to achieve the expected volume of deportations. Tom Homan, the administration's border policy officer, had previously recruited agents from several federal agencies to assist ICE, but the low number of arrests and deportations frustrated both Homan and the president himself. Trump, who promised to deport millions of immigrants during his campaign and inaugural address, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of operations, which led to the restructuring of leadership within ICE.

The agency's limited budget has been one of the main obstacles to meeting the administration's goals. Currently, funding approved by Congress allows for the maintenance of about 40,000 beds for detained immigrants, making it difficult to significantly expand operations. While ICE can work with private prisons to increase that capacity, available resources restrict that possibility, according to the publication.

To get around these limitations, the Trump administration is exploring the use of LOGCAP (Logistics Civil Augmentation Program) contracts, which allow the Pentagon to quickly sign agreements for logistical support in various operations. If this strategy is adopted, the amount of resources available for immigration enforcement would increase considerably. However, the administration may face legal challenges when utilizing these contracts for immigration purposes, as their use has traditionally been linked to military operations. As a justification, Trump intends to resort to the Alien and Sedition Acts and his declaration of national emergency at the southern border, seeking to ensure the legality of funding via the Department of Defense.