Trump says he will make 'provisions' for mixed-status families but doesn't rule out separations with mass deportations
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said the cost to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is justified and would not rule out separating families that are compromised of citizens and immigrants.
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said the cost to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is justified and would not rule out separating families made up of citizens and noncitizens.
"It'll cost trillions of dollars to keep these people, and I'm talking about in particular starting with the criminals," Trump told NBC News in an interview during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. "That's costing us a lot more than deporting. But we have no choice, regardless, we have no choice. We're going to have to deport."
When pressed, Trump provided no details on how he would pay for his plan, which could cost billions of dollars to implement at scale. Trump spent much of his first term fighting with Congress to give him money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, an expensive undertaking that the legislative branch never agreed to fund. Ultimately, he took the money from other parts of the Pentagon budget.
Former President Donald Trump talks alongside Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, as he tours the southern U.S. border in Sierra Vista, Ariz., on Aug. 22.Evan Vucci / APAsked whether he would deport undocumented immigrants who are part of mixed-status families, like those married to American citizens or those who are parents to American citizens, Trump simply said, "Provisions will be made, but we have to get the criminals out."
The former president did not elaborate on the provisions he would make for mixed-status families.
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