At the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an unambiguous statement: mass migration is not, was not, and will never be “some fringe concern of little consequence.” It remains a crisis transforming and destabilizing societies across the West.
Rubio emphasized that controlling who enters a country—and how many—represents national sovereignty, not xenophobia or hatred. Failing to enforce this principle amounts to an abdication of government’s fundamental duty to its citizens and poses an urgent threat to social order and civilizational stability.
The administration correctly prioritized removing violent criminal illegal aliens while acknowledging the need for broader enforcement. Yet special interests continue pressuring President Trump to abandon his pledge for “the largest deportation operation in American history” in favor of a narrower campaign focused solely on “the worst of the worst.”
This approach ignores the scale of the problem. Current deportation rates—two hundred thousand or even 300,000 annually—pale compared to an illegal population nearing 20 million. The administration’s machinery and capability exist to achieve one million interior removals by year-end 2026 under President Trump’s leadership.
The solution requires moving beyond sanctuary cities to confront sanctuary employers, farms, and factories. As someone who led ICE and CBP during the president’s first term, I can confirm that consistent, uniform enforcement of unlawful presence—without fear or favor—is achievable. Historical precedent shows clarity on immigration law drives behavioral change: when President Eisenhower enforced compliance in the 1950s, people left because they knew breaking the law carried consequences.
Now is the moment to advance phase two: scaling enforcement without limitation. The president’s promise to deport illegal aliens Joe Biden unlawfully allowed into the United States must be fulfilled through targeted action against all unlawful presence. This requires political will to prevent enforcement from stalling or collapsing into amnesty.
The State of the Union presents President Trump with his golden opportunity to demonstrate commitment to this historic promise. It is time to move to phase two: enforcement at scale, without fear or favor.
