Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson expressed skepticism about President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation policies during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. Johnson, who served under President Barack Obama, also urged caution regarding the overuse of executive orders, particularly at the onset of a new administration.
Johnson highlighted concerns about executive orders issued in the early days of a presidency, often crafted without adequate consultation with relevant agencies. “There should be a law prohibiting executive orders on day one,” Johnson suggested, referencing his own challenges with controversial policies such as the travel ban and the handling of detainees at Guantanamo Bay during the Obama administration.
Trump’s campaign platform included shutting down the U.S.-Mexico border and carrying out widespread deportations. Johnson, however, pointed to the logistical and ethical challenges of such measures, likening the scale of deporting all undocumented immigrants to removing “the population of two New York Cities.” He stressed the importance of prioritizing enforcement, urging the administration to focus on individuals posing criminal, national security, or recent border-crossing risks rather than attempting indiscriminate removals, noted The Daily Caller.
Johnson also addressed Trump’s appointment of Tom Homan, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as the new “border czar.” He noted, “Tom Homan knows that enforcement priorities matter. I know he knows that because he worked for me.” Johnson advocated for a targeted approach to deportations, one that avoids uprooting long-term undocumented residents, especially those with U.S.-citizen children.
Trump’s broader immigration agenda includes reinstating the controversial “Remain in Mexico” policy, bolstering Border Patrol personnel, and reviving the travel ban. However, these plans are already facing resistance in Democratic strongholds.
For example, the mayors of Denver and Chicago have both said they will do everything possible to allow their cities to keep as many illegal immigrants as possible. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston recently went as far as saying he’d go to jail to protect illegal immigrants in his city despite the population overwhelming his city to the point of needing to cut services.
Earlier in the year, both mayors begged Joe Biden for help in dealing with the thousands of migrants who have come to their “sanctuary” cities.
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