On Sunday, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expressed his disagreement with the notion of employing military forces to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, following President-elect Donald Trump’s indication last week of planning such actions.

“Utilizing the Army for this purpose is illegal,” Paul stated during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He commented on the negative imagery of having thousands of troops with semi-automatic weapons marching through New York City, adding, “It’s an image I oppose.”

According to a 19th-century U.S. law, the deployment of federal troops for domestic law enforcement is restricted unless Congress grants permission.

Although Paul, sometimes seen as a nonconformist in the GOP, agreed with the necessity of deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal histories, he emphasized that civilian law enforcement agencies are more suitable for this task and more capable of respecting the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. He noted a general “distrust among Americans” regarding military presence on city streets.

When asked if this issue would affect his Senate vote on Trump’s nomination of South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem for the Department of Homeland Security, Paul firmly asserted, “I will not support nor vote for the use of the military in our cities.”

Trump has built a significant part of his political identity around opposing illegal immigration and intends to initiate the largest-ever deportation campaign in U.S. history immediately after taking office on January 20. He hinted in a social media update on November 18 about declaring a national emergency to leverage military resources for this unprecedented deportation effort.

Paul suggested that agencies such as the FBI, ICE, and Customs and Border Protection should handle the deportations. He expressed uncertainty about the legality of deploying the National Guard for such duties, indicating the situation is “less clear,” as the National Guard operates under both federal and state control.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team, stated Sunday, “President Trump will utilize all necessary federal and state resources to conduct the largest operation ever against illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers while also reducing costs for families.”

Leavitt emphasized that voters have given Trump a “mandate to fulfill the promises he made during the campaign, like deporting criminal migrants and restoring our nation’s economic strength.”

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), part of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, characterized the notion of military involvement in deportations as “hyperbole.” On the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” he suggested that the very mention of military action could deter illegal immigration.

“Once this process begins, I expect to see a lot of self-deportation,” Donalds remarked.

Some Republicans stood by the idea of deploying military forces for deportations.

Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), poised to become the second-ranking Republican in the Senate when the party gains control in January, declared on “Fox News Sunday” that if Trump proclaims a national emergency, he would be able to properly utilize military resources.