The former CEO of the private military contractor Blackwater, Erik Prince, offered to handle mass deportations on behalf of the Trump administration for only a fraction of the price the Pentagon is asking to continue its war on Iran.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday to the Daily Caller that the Pentagon is seeking approximately $200 billion to continue funding Operation Epic Fury and to restock the U.S.’s dwindling ammunition. (RELATED: American Fighter Jet Struck By Suspected Iranian Fire For First Time During War)
Prince, meanwhile, told the president’s advisers in February that he could deport around 12 million people within the next two years or only $25 billion — an eighth of the price, according to Politico.
Although the deal has not been agreed upon, Prince’s pitch was that he would lead prominent military contractors who would utilize private citizens who can make arrests, a private fleet of 100 planes for transportation, and the use of “processing camps” on military bases, Politico reported.
Prince told NewsNation that this was a logistics issue, adding that his pitch describes how President Donald Trump can fulfill his campaign promises of mass deportations while still being able to “do it in a legal, ethical manner, to get people the due process they need before they are deported.”
“Tom Homan and the [Customs and Border Protection] team have a difficult task, and this memo describes how to supplement that capability with what the private sector does best: find a way to do something cheaper, better and faster at greater scale,” Prince added.
The White House told Politico that “while White House officials receive numerous unsolicited proposals from various private-sector players, it is ultimately up to the agencies responsible for carrying out the president’s agenda to consider and sign contracts to advance their mission.”
Hegseth explained why the Pentagon is requesting $200 billion in war funding during a recent Pentagon press conference.
“As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move. Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys, so we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition is—everything’s refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond,” Hegseth told Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese.
Hegseth emphasized that the funding would not only be to continue the operation but also to refill the depleting weapons stockpiles that the Biden administration had given to Ukraine, rather than investing in its own military.
The Department of Homeland Security did not reply to the Daily Caller’s request to comment as of publication.
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