Trump administration goes offense on immigration while defending pardons of Jan. 6 rioters
The Trump administration is deploying troops to the U.S. Southern border with plans to deport undocumented immigrants and build barriers to curb border crossings.
The Trump administration is deploying troops to the U.S. Southern border with plans to deport undocumented immigrants and build barriers to curb border crossings.
The Trump administration is deploying troops to the U.S. Southern border with plans to deport undocumented immigrants and build barriers to curb border crossings.
The Trump administration is going all in on immigration with to deploy 1,500 troops to the U.S. Southern border, deport more than 5,000 undocumented immigrants, and build barriers to curb the flow of border crossings.
"President Trump is sending a very strong message to people around the world," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "If you are thinking about breaking the laws of America, you will be returned home, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted. Do not come."
On Wednesday, the House also gave bipartisan approval of the , a bill penalizing undocumented immigrants accused of crimes ranging from theft to violent crimes.
While the administration takes action detaining undocumented immigrants, Jan. 6 rioters who stormed the Capitol after the 2020 election, walked free. of all 1,500 people from his first day in office received praise and veiled criticism from Republicans.
"They're under high scrutiny. I think they're very grateful," Rep. Dan Meuser, (R-Pa.) said in an interview. "Many of them have admitted what they did was wrong."
"I understand his point of view. I think he feels that people who participated in that protest, which became a riot, were punished excessively because of their politics," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. "I would have preferred the President to have looked at each case individually."
In a press conference Wednesday, police officers who responded to the attack on the Capitol, pushed back on Trump's pardons.
"He's going to leverage that power in terrible ways and one of the first ways he chose to do that was to pardon everyone from January 6th," D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges said.
In a overnight, Trump defended his move to issue pardons, calling the rioters' actions "very minor incidents."
In the same interview, Trump outlined plans to reform FEMA, stating that states should start handling and covering the costs of their own natural disasters.
The Trump administration is also taking more action in the name of national security. Roughly 160 National Security Council aides were sent home Wednesday while the Trump administration reviews and ensures staffers support Trump's agenda.
And, as preparations are underway to shut down the refugee resettlement program next week, the administration is blocking, for now, 1,600 Afghans who were cleared to come to the U.S. while they're vetted further. The group includes people who worked with U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan as well as family members of service members.
Overnight, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince says he spoke with Trump and told him the country wants to invest $600 billion over the next four years. The White House hasn't confirmed the phone call.