A leaked memo shows Donald Trump’s team is planning to use U.S. military planning systems to help deport immigrants. “The memo proposes deploying the Pentagon’s ‘nationwide operational planning capabilities’ to support deportations.”
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/memo-leak-pete-hegseth-military-deportations-b2800978.html
Stephen Miller said, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are looking to set a goal of a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day.”
https://www.allsides.com/news/2025-08-03-1245/immigration-doj-walking-back-white-house-s-goal-arrest-3000-immigrants-day
The Department of Justice, in court, wrote that “no numerical arrest quotas have been mandated by ICE leadership.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/03/trump-administration-daily-quota-immigration-arrests
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Public remarks promote daily arrest targets
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Legal filings deny quotas even exist
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Military strategy leaks conflict with past public reassurances
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ICE resources already stretched thin in some regions
The open split between political goals and court language shows a deeper strategy: push hard in public, but leave legal room in official filings. This could create friction inside agencies, or risk legal blowback over military use on U.S. soil.
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