Rand Paul Opposes Key Element of Trump's Deportation Plan, Threatens to Vote Against It

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed his opposition to aspects of President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans that involve deploying the military.

During an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Paul voiced strong support for targeting violent criminals among undocumented immigrants.

“I’m 100 percent supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 sexual assault perpetrators, rapists, and all these people,” Paul said in a viral video shared on X. “Let’s send them on their way to prison or back home to another prison.”

However, Paul criticized the idea of involving the military in such efforts.

“But you don’t do it with the Army because it’s illegal,” he stated. “We’ve had a longstanding distrust of putting the Army in our streets. Police, though, have a difficult job, but they understand the Fourth Amendment.”

Paul emphasized that deportations should follow established legal processes.

“They have to go to judges. They have to get warrants. It has to be specific. So, I’m for removing these people, but through the normal process of domestic policing,” he explained.

When asked if his stance against using the military extended to opposing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s potential nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security, Paul reaffirmed his position.

“I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities. I think it’s a terrible image,” he said.

Instead, Paul advocated using existing federal agencies for targeted deportations, including the FBI, ICE, and Border Patrol, estimating that around 30,000 dangerous individuals are currently in the country.

“That should be the first priority. Let’s go find those people,” he suggested. “But it’s not just about detaining them. In all likelihood, they should be going to jail, either here or in their home country. If we did that, I think there would be a lot of unity.”

Paul strongly opposed the idea of deploying troops in urban areas.

“If they send the Army into New York with 10,000 troops marching and carrying semi-automatic weapons, I think it’s a terrible image, and I will oppose that. But it’s not that I oppose removing [illegal immigrants],” he clarified.

Meanwhile, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has vowed to resist deportation efforts. According to Denverite, Johnston warned that such actions would face significant local opposition.

“You’d have 50,000 Denverites there,” he said. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.” He later admitted to The Guardian that his language may have been exaggerated but stood by his opposition.

Paul responded sharply to Johnston’s remarks, suggesting such resistance could lead to legal consequences.

“The mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law — which has a longstanding history of supremacy — will see this go all the way to the Supreme Court,” Paul warned. “I would suspect that he would be removed from office.”