Trump vows to terminate birthright citizenship — but wants Dreamers to stay
President-elect Donald Trump pledged to end birthright citizenship as one of his initial actions upon taking office. However, he also expressed that he wants Dreamers to be able to remain in the United States despite their illegal immigration status.During a Friday interview with Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press," Trump elaborated on his strategy for mass deportations, confirming his "day one" plan to end birthright citizenship.'Then the public turns against us. But we have to do our job.'Welker asked Trump whether he intended to accomplish that goal by using executive action to get around the 14th Amendment, which states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."Trump replied, "We're going to have to get [birthright citizenship] changed. We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We're the only country that has it."He noted that he is open to using executive action."Every time somebody puts two feet or even one foot on a piece of our land, it's welcome to long-term litigation," Trump stated, referring to the lengthy legal battles that precede the deportation of an illegal alien."Other countries, every other country, when somebody walks on and they see that they're here illegally, they walk them off; they take them back to where they came from," he added.Trump declared, "We have to get rid of this system. It's killing our country."The president-elect also discussed plans to deport families together, reinforcing remarks made by his incoming border czar, Tom Homan.Homan previously addressed concerns about family separation under the Trump administration, stating that families would not need to be split up since they could be deported as a unit.When asked about family separation, Trump told Welker, "I don't want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.""So no more family separations?" Welker asked.He explained that families would have two options: either they be deported as a unit, or those legally in the U.S. may remain while other members without legal status leave."Well, it depends on the family. The family may decide to say, 'I'd rather have Dad go, and we'll stay here.' And in which case they have that option," Trump responded.He anticipated that legacy media would use his mass deportation efforts to turn the public against him. "I'll tell you what's going to be horrible, when we take a wonderful young woman who's with a criminal," he continued. "And they show the woman, and she could stay by the law, but they show the woman being taken out. Or they want her out and your cameras are focused on her as she's crying as she's being taken out of our country. And then the public turns against us. But we have to do our job."Welker pressed the president-elect about his plans for Dreamers, individuals without legal status who moved to the U.S. as children. Trump noted that his administration is immediately focused on deporting criminal illegal aliens."The Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age. And many of these are middle-aged people now. They don't even speak the language of their country," he stated.Trump vowed to "work with the Democrats on a plan" to address Dreamers, claiming that Republicans are "very open."When asked whether he would like Dreamers to be able to remain in the U.S., Trump responded, "I do."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
President-elect Donald Trump pledged to end birthright citizenship as one of his initial actions upon taking office. However, he also expressed that he wants Dreamers to be able to remain in the United States despite their illegal immigration status.
During a Friday interview with Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press," Trump elaborated on his strategy for mass deportations, confirming his "day one" plan to end birthright citizenship.
'Then the public turns against us. But we have to do our job.'
Welker asked Trump whether he intended to accomplish that goal by using executive action to get around the 14th Amendment, which states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
Trump replied, "We're going to have to get [birthright citizenship] changed. We'll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We're the only country that has it."
He noted that he is open to using executive action.
"Every time somebody puts two feet or even one foot on a piece of our land, it's welcome to long-term litigation," Trump stated, referring to the lengthy legal battles that precede the deportation of an illegal alien.
"Other countries, every other country, when somebody walks on and they see that they're here illegally, they walk them off; they take them back to where they came from," he added.
Trump declared, "We have to get rid of this system. It's killing our country."
The president-elect also discussed plans to deport families together, reinforcing remarks made by his incoming border czar, Tom Homan.
Homan previously addressed concerns about family separation under the Trump administration, stating that families would not need to be split up since they could be deported as a unit.
When asked about family separation, Trump told Welker, "I don't want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back."
"So no more family separations?" Welker asked.
He explained that families would have two options: either they be deported as a unit, or those legally in the U.S. may remain while other members without legal status leave.
"Well, it depends on the family. The family may decide to say, 'I'd rather have Dad go, and we'll stay here.' And in which case they have that option," Trump responded.
He anticipated that legacy media would use his mass deportation efforts to turn the public against him.
"I'll tell you what's going to be horrible, when we take a wonderful young woman who's with a criminal," he continued. "And they show the woman, and she could stay by the law, but they show the woman being taken out. Or they want her out and your cameras are focused on her as she's crying as she's being taken out of our country. And then the public turns against us. But we have to do our job."
Welker pressed the president-elect about his plans for Dreamers, individuals without legal status who moved to the U.S. as children.
Trump noted that his administration is immediately focused on deporting criminal illegal aliens.
"The Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age. And many of these are middle-aged people now. They don't even speak the language of their country," he stated.
Trump vowed to "work with the Democrats on a plan" to address Dreamers, claiming that Republicans are "very open."
When asked whether he would like Dreamers to be able to remain in the U.S., Trump responded, "I do."
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Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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