Erik Prince’s team proposes private army for mass deportations to Trump

A group of prominent defense contractors, including former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, has presented a proposal to the White House to conduct mass deportations. This would involve a network of “processing camps” on military bases, a private fleet of 100 aircraft, and a “small army” of private individuals with arrest powers.

The plan, detailed in a 26-page proposal given to President Donald Trump’s advisors before his inauguration, carries an estimated $25 billion price tag. It proposes aggressive tactics to rapidly deport 12 million people before the 2026 midterm elections. According to the document obtained by POLITICO, some of these tactics are likely to face legal and operational challenges.

The group includes a number of former immigration officials and is led by Prince, who has close ties to Trump, and Bill Mathews, the former chief operating officer of Blackwater. Blackwater is a shadowy company known for providing security, training, and logistical support to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan during the “war on terror.”

Erik Prince and his associates argue that the government should seek outside help

The document states that deporting 12 million people over two years “will require the government to deport approximately 500,000 illegal aliens per month.” It further claims that “a 600% increase in activity will be required to keep pace with Trump’s deportations. It is not possible for the government to expand its internal staff to keep up with this demand… In order to carry out this enormous number of deportations, the government would need outside help.”

According to three former immigration and government officials who reviewed the proposal for POLITICO, the fast-track deportation proposal includes several suggestions that ignore important aspects of the country’s complex immigration laws.

The proposal suggests establishing a screening team of 2,000 lawyers and ancillary staff, one of several elements designed to streamline functions normally handled by the government.

This team would determine whether individuals are eligible for deportation and refer them to the case team. The case team would consist of 2,000 lawyers and support staff proposed to conduct mass hearings.

“2USV proposes that the government organize mass deportation hearings to expedite the deportation process,” the document states, outlining a new legal process that has not been tested in the courts.

2USV is the name of the new company formed by Prince and his team.

Trump breaks his promise to ‘deport all illegal immigrants’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased immigration detentions during Trump’s first few weeks in office, but the pace has since slowed, and detentions do not always translate into deportations.

The president’s campaign to rapidly increase deportations has resulted in the reassignment of senior immigration officials. The administration faces several resource challenges, including detention capacity and the need for additional staff.

Steve Bannon, who served in Trump’s first term, is close to the president and aware of the proposal. He stated, “People want this done quickly, and they understand that the government has always been very slow to get things done. It would be wise to go out to bid now and see what else outside companies, contractors, can do.”

It is unclear whether the president has seen the plan, which has circulated among Trump’s allies since December. Trump promised mass deportations on his first day in office but failed to deliver on that promise.

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White House spokesperson Kush Desai said the administration remains committed to a whole-of-government approach to “securing” borders, mass deportations of criminal illegal immigrants, and enforcing immigration laws.

“While White House officials receive numerous unsolicited proposals from various private sector players, it is ultimately up to the agencies responsible for executing the President’s agenda to evaluate and sign contracts to advance their missions,” Desai said.

The founders of the new private company, 2USV, have a long history with the US government. Prince founded Blackwater in 1996 to provide training services to law enforcement, military personnel, and other government agencies.

Blackwater, which gained attention by providing security services to US officials and military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, is also held responsible for massacres against civilians, especially in Iraq.

Following the Nisour Square Massacre, in which 17 Iraqi civilians were killed and 20 wounded, the company came under scrutiny in 2007. This raised questions about the oversight and accountability of private contractors.

Several people were charged with manslaughter, and four were convicted in 2014. Trump pardoned them at the end of his first term in December 2020.

Trump’s pardon was just one example of the Prince family’s influence during the first Trump administration. Prince’s sister, Betsy DeVos, served as the President’s Secretary of Education, while Prince used his connections to Trump to pursue business ventures in the US and abroad.

In 2018, Prince reportedly helped Trump raise money for an effort to spy on “dissident progressives and Democratic organizations.” The former Blackwater CEO, along with Bannon, played a role in 2019 MAGA (Make America Great Again) team activities to privately build a wall along the US southern border (Bannon recently pleaded guilty to a fraud charge related to the wall effort).

In 2020, it was also revealed that Prince presented a $10 billion plan to buy Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and hire Ukraine’s war veterans into a private military company.