Trump border czar Tom Homan said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that deportation could expand past criminals to those in the country illegally.
Partial transcript as follows:
HOMAN: We got military on the border, not only helping us with departure flights on military planes, or they’re helping to build infrastructure, they’re putting up concertina wire, where they’re down there to create a secure border and, knock that border down. The DOD has helped administrations before, but not at this level, so it’s a force multiplier, and it’s sending a strong signal to the world: our border is closed.
RADDATZ: So is this what we will see every single day, ending in what the President has promised is millions and millions being deported?
HOMAN: Yes. But you’re going to see the numbers steadily increase, the number of arrests nationwide as we open up the aperture. Right now, it’s concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats. That’s a smaller population. So we’re going to do this on priority base, that’s President Trump’s promise. But as that aperture opens, there’ll be more arrests nationwide.
RADDATZ: When you—when you talk about the aperture opening, the estimates of perhaps those who have been convicted or arrested in the past– 700,000 to over a million. So after you do that, then you go after everybody who is there illegally?
HOMAN: If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table because it’s not okay to, you know, violate the laws of this country. You got to remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title Eight, the United States Code 1325, it’s a crime.
So if you’re in a country illegally, you got a problem. And that’s why I’m hoping those who are in the country illegally, who have not been ordered removed by the federal judge, should leave.
RADDATZ: While you are emphasizing that you go after national security threats, you have said, “No one’s off the table.” “If you’re in the country illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” “You should be afraid and start packing now.” Is that what you’re doing to get hotel workers out or people in, working on farms, that they’ll be so scared they just leave?
HOMAN: Look, I think if you’re in the country illegally, it’s not okay. It’s not OK to violate the laws of this country. We have millions of people standing in line, taking the test, doing their background investigation, paying the fees that want to come in the right way.
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