Trump outlines tough immigration, fentanyl measures at AmericaFest

President-elect Donald Trump vowed to launch the "largest deportation operation in American history" on his first day in office, as he outlined his plans to curb illegal immigration and combat the fentanyl crisis.

Speaking at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix on December 22, Trump vowed to sign executive orders to close the US border to illegal immigrants and initiate mass deportations, surpassing those under President Eisenhower, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

“I will sign a historic slate of executive orders to stop the invasion of our country and begin the largest deportation operation in American history,” Trump said.

The 78-year-old Republican candidate, who won the 2024 election, has long promised a tough stance on immigration.

He named Tom Homan, former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as his designee to lead the operation.

Trump also reflected on his strong engagement with younger voters and credited TikTok for helping his campaign gain traction. Despite the platform facing a potential ban over its Chinese ownership, Trump expressed interest in keeping TikTok active in the US “We had a great response with billions of views,” he said, adding, “I think we’re going to have to start thinking about TikTok.”

The US government has set a deadline of January 19, 2025, for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app or face a ban on the Google and Apple app stores due to national security concerns over Chinese surveillance laws.

Trump had previously moved to block TikTok during his first term, but the decision was blocked by the courts. More recently, Trump has expressed a warmer stance on the app, partly due to efforts by billionaire GOP donor Jeff Yass, who has invested in TikTok.

In addition to his immigration focus, Trump pledged to launch a public awareness campaign against fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that caused nearly 74,000 US deaths in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

He described plans to fund advertisements warning against the drug’s dangers, particularly its impact on appearance. “They ruin your looks, your face, your skin, and your teeth,” Trump said.

Trump also renewed his criticism of Panama, accusing the country of unfairly treating US commerce and the Navy. “The United States has a big vested interest in the secure, efficient and reliable operation of the Panama Canal,” he stated, vowing to end what he described as a “complete rip-off” of the US.

Trump’s remarks at AmericaFest marked his first major rally since securing the 2024 presidential election. The event also featured speeches from several conservative figures, including Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), the latter of whom hinted at a potential Senate run.

By Aghakazim Guliyev