Trump nominates several loyalists to help carry out his aggressive immigration agenda

Washington DC - President-elect Donald Trump recently announced a handful of new cabinet nominations for positions related to the border as he prepares to enact the largest deportation effort in US history.

On Thursday, Donald Trump announced a handful of nominations to his administration who will help him carry out his promised mass deportation efforts.
On Thursday, Donald Trump announced a handful of nominations to his administration who will help him carry out his promised mass deportation efforts.  © SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

On Thursday evening, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce that he has nominated Rodney Scott as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection and Caleb Vitello as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Scott worked as chief of the Border Patrol during the final year of Trump's first term and helped implement some of his most aggressive policies, while Vitello is currently the assistant director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs at ICE.

Trump has also tapped Tony Salisbury to be deputy homeland security adviser on the White House Homeland Security Council, and Brandon Judd as US Ambassador to Chile.

Matt Gaetz calls on George Santos for beauty tips after viral makeup fail on his new show
Politicians Matt Gaetz calls on George Santos for beauty tips after viral makeup fail on his new show

The president-elect said his picks will "expand our Homeland Security team, and secure our interests in the Western Hemisphere."

Throughout the 2024 presidential race, Trump made immigration a main focus of his campaign. He repeatedly railed against undocumented immigrants, employing incendiary rhetoric about foreigners who "poison the blood" of the US, sharing misleading statistics, and spreading falsehoods about immigrants eating people's pets.

Last month, Trump said he plans to declare a national emergency and use the US military to carry out his deportation efforts.

Cover photo: SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

More on Donald Trump: