Donald Trump will send in the US Army to round up and deport the worst of the worst undocumented migrants in unparalleled crackdown when he becomes President, former immigration enforcement chief claims

Donald Trump will use the US Army to round up and deport the worst of the worst illegal migrants in an unparalleled crackdown, his former enforcement chief has said.

Tom Homan, who is likely to lead a mass deportation programme in the Trump administration, has said all of the estimated 20 million people residing in the US illegally would be targeted by the unprecedented campaign.

He said: Bottom line: if you come to the country illegally, youre not off the table.

Mr Homan, who was head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Trumps first stint in the White House, said he would revive the president elects remain in Mexico programme, in which Mexicans would have their asylum applications processed on their side of the border.

He also promised to close the southern border and build a wall - another flagship Trump pledge.

Donald Trump could use the US Army to round up and deport migrants in an unprecedented operation, his former immigration chief has said

Tom Homan said the programme would initially target the worst of the worst illegal migrants residing in the US

But the former immigration chief dismissed any suggestion that concentration camps could be used to hold migrants rounded up in the deportation programme.

Instead he said he would explore possible arrangements for asylum seekers to be processed in third countries - in an echo of the Rwanda scheme previously touted under Britain before being ditched by Sir Keir Starmers Labour government.

Newly built holding centres could be built in the US alongside a larger role for the military in transporting refugees, the Times reported. 

Its going to be a lot different to what the liberal media is saying its going to be, Mr Homan said. 

With his path to the Oval Office secured and a majority in the Senate, and possibly in the House of Representatives where votes are still being counted, Trump will be well positioned to roll out his programme.

Migrants heading to the US in a caravan in Tapachula, Mexico. Mr Homan said that the army could assist with building a wall and reviving Trumps remain in Mexico programme

A high number of people were recorded trying to cross the southern border by the end of last year, however the trend was reversed following a Biden executive order banning migrants seeking asylum from entering.

Mr Homan said while the army would be unlikely to make arrests, it could play a greater role in the logistical operation, such as building facilities and transporting migrants.

He said: I don’t see them making arrests, they don’t have immigration authority, but they can certainly do transportation. . They can certainly do infrastructure-building, they can certainly help build these facilities and help finish the wall with the Army Corps of Engineers.