President Trump said that the government has already started sending undocumented migrants to sanctuary cities as a way to deal with broken immigration laws.
“Last month alone, 100,000 illegal immigrants arrived at our borders, placing a massive strain on communities, and schools, and hospitals, and public resources like nobody’s ever seen before,” said the president, at a rally in Green Bay on April 27. “Now we’re sending many of them to sanctuary cities, thank you very much. They’re not too happy about it. I’m proud to tell you that was actually my sick idea.”
This is not the first time the president mentioned sending undocumented immigrants to sanctuary cities and states. Just a day before the Green Bay rally, when giving a speech at the National Rifle Association Forum, the president made a similar statement.
“Democrats also support sanctuary cities that release thousands of dangerous criminal aliens onto our streets,” said the president. “In fact, they like the criminal aliens and aliens so much that when we’re forced to release them into our country because of the horrible immigration laws that the Democrats refuse to give us the votes—we need some of their votes to change—we give them as many as they can handle.”
These remarks follow a statement Trump made earlier on Twitter.
“Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only…” Trump wrote in an April 12 tweet.
“…The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy—so this should make them very happy!” Trump wrote in the following tweet.
Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019
….The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy – so this should make them very happy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2019
The next day, Trump followed with a more specific statement.
“Just out: The USA has the absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities. We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the State of California, which is well known or its poor management & high taxes!” Trump tweeted.
Just out: The USA has the absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities. We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the State of California, which is well known or its poor management & high taxes!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2019
Official Policy Coming?
The administration had been exploring and discussing the plan with the Department of Homeland Security since November, according to The Washington Post. The government at that time had not yet come to a decision about implementing a policy of sending illegal migrants to sanctuary cities.
President Trump’s recent comments indicate that a policy decision may have been reached, although the White House and federal agencies have not yet issued official statements.
At the Green Bay rally, Trump expressed his frustration when dealing with Democrats on immigration issues.
“Wealthy liberals preach open borders, they live behind gates and guards, they send their families to the best doctors and private schools and while pushing immigration policies that drain the public services everyday citizens depend on you, and they depend on you, I depend on you because we can change our immigration laws.
“I used to say in 45 minutes, it’s really 15 minutes, it’s so simple, but we need Democrats to vote on it, otherwise we can’t change it. And they don’t want because No. 1, they don’t want to give us a victory, we’re going to take it anyway. We’re going to take the victory, anyway. But they don’t want to give us a victory on that issue.”
