Trump Backs Florida Plan for National Guard to Act as Immigration Judges, Endangering Rights and Due Process

President Donald Trump has endorsed a controversial plan allowing the Florida National Guard to serve as immigration judges, further entrenching a regime of expedited deportations amid a growing crisis in U.S. immigration policy. During a recent visit to an immigration detention center in Florida, Trump provided his unequivocal support for Governor Ron DeSantis’ initiative, which is part of a wider strategy to dismantle established legal protections for migrants.

DeSantis has long sought approval to enable National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps officers to act as immigration judges. Trump’s support echoes his administration’s trend of undermining judicial independence by appointing figures who operate under the influence of political leaders, rather than the independent judiciary framework meant to safeguard rights and due process.

The detention center, ominously nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” due to its location in alligator-infested swamplands, represents a stark shift in how the U.S. handles immigration enforcement. Uthmeier, Florida’s Attorney General, described the facility as a “one-stop shop for immigration enforcement,” reinforcing the perception that these measures are about swift deportation rather than meaningful legal process or humane treatment of migrants.

This plan prioritizes speed over justice, as the facility will allow the federal government to physically relocate migrants more expediently, bypassing traditional legal avenues. The implication of rapidly deploying National Guard members as quasi-judges is a direct affront to the judicial system, underlining the Republican agenda to strip away rights under the guise of addressing immigration “issues.”

As the Trump administration endorses this militaristic approach to immigration enforcement, it underscores an alarming embrace of authoritarian tactics. This represents yet another step toward a system that views migrants as mere dispensable entities rather than individuals deserving of rights and respect. The normalization of such extreme measures not only threatens the integrity of the U.S. legal system but also marks a troubling erosion of the institutional norms that uphold democracy.

(h/t: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article309792865.html)