Former Republican presidential candidate and biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy said on Sunday (November 10) that Donald Trump will carry out a mass deportation as one of his first priorities in the White House.

The Republican president-elect campaigned to return to the White House vowing a vast immigration crackdown, including a promise to deport record numbers of immigrants in an operation Trump’s running mate JD Vance estimated could remove 1 million people per year.

During his campaign, Trump frequently called attention to crimes reportedly committed by immigrants lacking legal status, though numerous studies have shown immigrants do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born Americans.

Trump backers - including some who could enter his second administration - anticipate the Republican will call on everyone from the U.S. military to diplomats overseas to turn the promise of mass deportations into reality. The effort would include cooperation with Republican-led states and using federal funding as leverage against resistant jurisdictions.

Asked what Trump's top priority should be in the first 100 days following his January 20 inauguration, 25% of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll from Thursday (November 7), said he should prioritize immigration, a much larger share than any other issue. Some 14% of respondents said Trump should focus on income inequality, 12% said taxes and smaller shares picked healthcare, crime, jobs or the environment.

But respondents to the two-day poll, conducted in the hours after the Republican clinched his election victory, were divided about his plans to expel large numbers of people.

Ramaswamy is considered a potential choice for the top job at the Department of Commerce. - report from Reuters