Vows to deport 11M immigrants
Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would triple the number of federal agents to enforce immigration laws, end birthright citizenship and deport more than 11 million illegal immigrants if he’s elected president.
The billionaire described his expanded vision of how to secure American borders in a wide-ranging interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” and in a position paper he later released, saying he would push to end the constitutionally protected citizenship rights of children of any family living illegally in the United States.
“They have to go,” he said. “What they’re doing, they’re having a baby. And then all of a sudden, nobody knows . . . the baby’s here.”
Trump also told host Chuck Todd that he would reverse President Obama’s executive orders on immigration and deport all un- documented immigrants.
“We’re going to keep the families together, but they have to go,” the real-estate mogul said.
“We will work with them. They have to go. Chuck, we either have a country, or we don’t have a country,” he said.
The move would rescind an Obama’s executive order known as the Dream Act, which gives those brought to the United States illegally as children protection from deportation. It would also overturn the president’s unilateral move to delay deportation for their families.
Trump also insisted he would get Mexico to build a wall along the border. If Mexico refuses, a Trump administration would penalize the US ally with measures such as increasing fees on border crossings and visas, imposing tariffs and cutting foreign aid.
In a policy paper he released Sunday, the GOP presidential front-runner said he would triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, impose a “mandatory return of all criminal aliens” and detain all people caught crossing the border until they are sent home.
Currently, 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants live in the United States, making up 3.5 percent of the population, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
Trump couldn’t explain exactly how he would deport millions of people, but told Todd, “It will work out so well, you will be so happy. In four years, you’re going to be interviewing me and you’re going to say, ‘What a great job you’ve done, President Trump.’ ”
Asked who is advising him on military policy, Trump simply said, “Well, I watch the shows.”
Trump, who is now anti-abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, said he would consider shutting down the government over Planned Parenthood funding.
As for the $7.25 minimum wage, which some Democrats want increased to $15, Trump said he would “keep the minimum wage pretty much where it is right now.”
The owner of beauty pageants said he would consider hiring less-attractive people in his administration because they often have more of an edge than beautiful people. “People that don’t look so good fight harder,” he said.