US President Donald Trump's administration is moving to boost deportation efforts by extending immigration enforcement powers to multiple federal law enforcement agencies, according to a media report.
A Wall Street Journal report Wednesday cited an internal memo that was issued by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman.
The memo outlines plans to extend immigration enforcement authority to multiple federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the US Marshals Service.
Huffman's directive follows executive orders signed by Trump declaring a national emergency at the southern US border that paved the way to deploy American troops there.
"All illegal entry (to the US) will immediately be halted," said Trump. "We will reinstate my 'Remain in Mexico' policy" to "repel the disastrous invasion" of the country, he added.
The memo also noted that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents already have immigration enforcement powers under existing laws. However, the FBI has traditionally focused on national security and criminal investigations rather than immigration enforcement.
According other media reports, thousands of additional active-duty US troops are also being deployed to the southern border with Mexico after Trump ordered a troop ramp-up as part of his initiative to crack down on illegal immigration.
