Former President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would employ local police to handle mass deportations of illegal immigrants if he secures a second term in November.
“There’s never been a border where 15, 16, maybe 18 million people have already crossed, and I think nobody has any idea what the number is,” the Republican primary front-runner told the news outlet.
President Trump also pledged to provide “immunity” to police so they can combat illegal crossings at the border. He noted that police have a better understanding of where the illegal immigrants come from.
“We have to deport a lot of people, and they have to start immediately,” he said. “It’s going to be the local police are going to turn them over, and we’re going to have to move them back to their country.”
Biden-Trump Border Showdown
Speaking to reporters in Eagle Pass on Feb. 29, the former president called President Biden—who was visiting Texas on the same day in Brownsville—“the worst president our country has ever had.”
“He’s allowing thousands and thousands of people to come in from China, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, Syria, and a lot of other nations, many nations are not very friendly to us,” he said. “He’s transported the entire columns of fighting-aged men and ... they look like warriors to me. Something’s going on. It’s bad.”
The presidential visits came at a politically significant time, as early voting is underway in Texas for the state’s presidential primary on March 5.
During his visit, President Biden delivered remarks highlighting the urgency of passing a bill that will provide billions of dollars for border security and immigration reform.
President Biden criticized Republicans and the former president for obstructing the recent border deal that was agreed in the Senate.
“I understand my predecessor is in Eagle Pass today,” he said. “Here’s what I would say to Mr. Trump: Instead of playing politics with this issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me or I'll join you and tell the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together.”
President Biden touted the border deal, calling it “the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen.”
The Biden administration has long held that the United States’ immigration system is “broken” and can be fixed only by new legislation from Congress.
Republicans, including the Texas governor, have said that the president has the power to fix the problem himself, he just doesn’t want to.
“There are three laws that Congress has already passed that are on the books right now that Biden could and should enforce,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.
This jumped to 1.73 million in fiscal year 2021 under President Biden and then to 2.38 million in fiscal year 2022. During the first six months of fiscal year 2023, there have already been 1.22 million encounters.
