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President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that he has “no choice” but to deport everyone who is in the U.S. illegally, resulting in expulsion. It also includes the possibility of deporting family members of American citizens.
President Trump also said he would move to repeal birthright citizenship, long enshrined in the 14th Amendment. This strips people born in the country of their undocumented parents’ rights.
But he said he is open to working with Democrats to pass legislation that would ensure Dreamers — illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children — can remain in the country.
Trump’s comments on his plan to mass deportation, a key campaign promise, were the most far-reaching since winning the November election. He said the program would start with undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and then expand to “non-criminals.” He did not elaborate on what crimes would be included.
“I think we have to do that,” President Trump said of efforts to deport people. “It’s very difficult. It’s — but there have to be rules, regulations, laws. They came into the country illegally. You know, they’ve been treated very unfairly for 10 years. These are people who have been refused entry.”
“We have to get these criminals out of our country,” Trump said, later adding. And I’m going to start with the others and see how it goes. ”
Welker asked, “Who are the others?” President Trump responded, “The stranger is someone other than a criminal.”
The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States increased significantly during President Joe Biden’s tenure, but that number has declined following executive actions in recent months.
As with his first run for office in 2016, tightening regulations along the Mexican border was at the forefront of Trump’s candidacy. Mr. Trump and his allies regularly highlighted acts of violence committed by illegal immigrants to strengthen their case. (According to a 2024 study by the National Institute of Justice, Texas arrest records from 2012 to 2018 show that undocumented immigrants were arrested for violent crimes at less than half the rate of mainland-born Americans. )
President Trump also addressed a scenario in which U.S. citizens could choose to be deported along with their family members who are in the country illegally. His comments echoed Tom Homan, the incoming administration’s nominee for border czar, who said he would deport families with mixed immigration status together.
“I’d like to ask you about another group, the estimated 4 million families in the United States with mixed immigration status. So I’m talking about parents who may be in the country illegally. ,” Welker said. “But the kids are here legally.”
“I don’t want to separate families,” President Trump said. “So the only way to not tear families apart is to keep them together and send everyone back.”
Welker also asked about the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy during his first term, which separated families at the border as a deterrent for people who chose to enter the United States illegally. Trump eventually ended the practice.
“There is no need to separate families,” President Trump said. “We will send the entire family back to their country of origin in a very humane manner.”
“So there’s no need for family separation anymore?” Welker asked. “Are you not planning on reinstating the zero-tolerance policy?”
“It’s up to the family,” President Trump said, later adding, “If they’re here illegally, but the family is here legally, the family has a choice. People who entered the country illegally can leave, or we can all leave.”
Regarding birthright citizenship, President Trump has said he would seek to abolish it through executive action, but that would certainly cause immediate legal problems.
“We have to end it,” Trump said, calling the move “ridiculous.”
President Trump suggested that birthright citizenship is uniquely American, saying, “We are the only country that has it.” But more than 30 countries, including Canada and Brazil, offer birthright citizenship, according to research from the Library of Congress.
The president-elect will be discussing Dreamers, who came to the United States as children nearly two decades ago and are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows them to remain in the country. , spoke in a calm tone. and work legally.
President Trump: “We’ve got to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people who were brought here when they were young, and many of them are middle-aged now, and they don’t even speak their language.” “I’m going to work with the Democratic Party to come up with a plan,” he added.
“They were brought into this country many years ago,” he continued. “Some of them are not young anymore, but in many cases they are successful. They have great jobs. In some cases, they run small businesses. They may have a large business and we will have to do something with them.”
This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:
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