(NewsNation) — In his first national television interview since winning back the White House, President-elect Donald Trump said his top immigration priority is deporting undocumented migrants who have criminal records.
While the specific crimes to be targeted remain unclear, he’s promising swift action.
“We have no choice, first they are costing us a fortune, but we are starting with the criminals,” Trump said. “And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes.”
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Trump also showed a softer stance on “Dreamers” than he has previously, indicating a willingness to work with Democrats on a path to stability for the more than 535,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in the United States.
And when it comes to mixed-status families, he’s proposing deporting families together to avoid separation. This plan would mean U.S. citizen children would leave the country with their undocumented parents.
He told NBC’s “Meet The Press” that this plan is “the only way to do it,” and “you have to send them all back.”
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The most eye-opening statement by the president-elect was his vow to end birthright citizenship, which makes anyone born in the U.S. a citizen. He pledged to take action on day one of his presidency, using executive action if necessary.
“You know, if someone puts one foot, one foot, in our land, congratulations you are now a citizen of the united states of America? We are gonna end that because it’s ridiculous,” Trump said.
He defended this plan by saying that America is the only country with the policy, but over 30 countries — including Canada and Brazil — also grant unconditional birthright citizenship.
