Trump says millions in U.S. illegally to be deported starting next week
But it probably won't be "millions." I don't think the agencies involved knew or expected Trump to tweet about it in advance.
It's an interesting week. A possible war with Iran, Trump's birthday and the launching of his re-election campaign - and an upcoming roundup.
President Trump says millions of people living in the country illegally will be deported, beginning next week. In a pair of tweets Monday night — the eve of formally announcing his re-election bid — Mr. Trump said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would next week "begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States."
"They will be removed as fast as they come in," he wrote
But it probably won't be "millions." I don't think the agencies involved knew or expected Trump to tweet about it in advance.
It is unusual for law enforcement agencies to announce raids before they take place. ICE rarely announces operations in advance, especially large-scale ones like the one Mr. Trump addressed. The Washington Post reported in May that before the ouster of then Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the White House pushed DHS — which oversees ICE — to conduct a sprawling operation targeting undocumented immigrants in major cities. That operation would have entailed the arrest of as many as 10,000 immigrants, not "millions."
It's an interesting week. A possible war with Iran, Trump's birthday and the launching of his re-election campaign - and an upcoming roundup.
Any such massive deportation blitz would affect not only undocumented immigrants with pending removal orders, but millions of mixed-status families with members who are U.S. citizens, particularly children.
Some in Mr. Trump's administration believe decisive shows of force — such as mass arrests — can serve as effective deterrents, sending a message to those considering making the journey to the U.S. that it's not worth the effort.