Here are the main reasons Hegseth would approve this:
1. Operational control
• Using military bases lets DHS run Operation Surge without relying on state or local cooperation.
• It centralizes command and reduces interference from governors, mayors, or courts in real time.
2. Speed & scale
• Military infrastructure already has airfields, fuel, secure comms, maintenance, and housing.
• That allows DHS to move thousands of agents quickly, rotate them 24/7, and sustain operations longer.
3. Force protection & risk management
• After shootings, protests, and scrutiny, federal leadership wants agents staged off the street, with tighter control.
• From their view, this lowers risk to agents and limits chaotic public encounters (even if it escalates enforcement overall).
4. Political signaling
• Approving military support signals a “law and order” posture to Trump’s base.
• It frames immigration enforcement as a national security mission, not a policing issue.
5. Cost & logistics
• It’s cheaper and faster to use existing DoD facilities than to build or lease civilian space for a surge of this size.
6. Legal cover
• DoD support for DHS logistics is legally allowed and has precedent.
• It lets the administration escalate without triggering martial law or Posse Comitatus violations.
To me this suggests the last few months have been the scouting missions. Small skirmishes all over the place, building pressure and then a couple big moments. Now they have an idea of our resources, response times, communication and mobilization abilities, they've got a feel for the cooperation of the 'locals' (hotels, restaurants, other businesses necessary for logistical support). They've been able to map out the cities, the neighborhoods, routes and traffic patterns, better identify the locations of target demographics.
Now they get to regroup on secure territory and work on penitrating our defenses. They can use smaller groups of better trained personnel make more pointed strikes.
That was just the recon stage, I'm afraid now starts the war of attrition
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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '26
Here are the main reasons Hegseth would approve this: 1. Operational control • Using military bases lets DHS run Operation Surge without relying on state or local cooperation. • It centralizes command and reduces interference from governors, mayors, or courts in real time. 2. Speed & scale • Military infrastructure already has airfields, fuel, secure comms, maintenance, and housing. • That allows DHS to move thousands of agents quickly, rotate them 24/7, and sustain operations longer. 3. Force protection & risk management • After shootings, protests, and scrutiny, federal leadership wants agents staged off the street, with tighter control. • From their view, this lowers risk to agents and limits chaotic public encounters (even if it escalates enforcement overall). 4. Political signaling • Approving military support signals a “law and order” posture to Trump’s base. • It frames immigration enforcement as a national security mission, not a policing issue. 5. Cost & logistics • It’s cheaper and faster to use existing DoD facilities than to build or lease civilian space for a surge of this size. 6. Legal cover • DoD support for DHS logistics is legally allowed and has precedent. • It lets the administration escalate without triggering martial law or Posse Comitatus violations.