Trump’s threat may be a stunt

President WASHINGTON — Donald Trump could have a tough time making good on his threat to deport millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. But maybe that wasn’t his point.

Trump’s late-night messages promised that starting next week his administra- tion “will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they can.”

That was a pronounce- ment likely to excite his political base just as he was formally announcing his reelection bid Tuesday night. It also scared immigrants in the U.S. illegally — and could deter others from coming. But it came at a cost. Trump blatantly exposed an upcoming enforcement operation, potentially jeopardizing the kind of sensitive effort that takes months to plan and relies on secrecy. The president’s tweets put new, fresh demands on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency in charge of removals, which is already overwhelmed, lack- ing staff, funding and detention space for its current work. And any massive roundup that includes deportation of moth- ers, fathers and children would be sure to spark outrage.

The tweets suggested the start of Trump’s re-election campaign is likely to have much in common with his 2016 announcement, when he accused Mexico of sending rapists to the United States and pledged to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. The rhetoric was widely denounced, yet the tough anti-immigration message struck a nerve with many and ultimately helped carry Trump to victory.

But his tough talk hasn’t led to a drop in border crossings since he took office. Trump has threatened a series of increasingly drastic actions as he has tried to stem the flow of Central American migrants, which has risen dramatically despite his hardline policies.