During Donald Trump’s latest appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” the president-elect assured host Kristen Welker that he’s open to working with congressional Democrats to protect Dreamers — a label used to describe undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children.
When Welker specifically asked, “You want them to be able to stay, that’s what you’re saying?” Trump replied, “I do. I want to be able to work something out.”
Of course, shortly after taking office in 2017, the Republican said Dreamers should “rest easy” about his immigration policies. He soon after betrayed them, rescinded the program and its protections for the young immigrants, and tried to use them as political pawns. For those inclined to take his latest comments at face value, I’d recommend caution: Trump hasn’t exactly earned credibility on the subject.
Nevertheless, a casual observer might’ve seen this part of the interview and wondered whether the president-elect is moderating a bit on matters related to immigration and the border. The rest of the interview, however, proved otherwise. NBC News reported:
President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that “you have no choice” but to deport everyone who is illegally in the U.S., including possibly removing the American citizen family members of those deported. Trump also said he will move to end birthright citizenship — long enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution — which would strip rights from those born in the country to undocumented parents.
Right off the bat, the glaring contradiction matters: The president-elect can support making a deal to help Dreamers stay in the United States, or he can insist that U.S. officials “have no choice” but to deport every person who is on American soil illegally. He cannot, however, do both.
But even more important is the profound radicalism of the Republican’s vision: Trump envisions a policy in which American citizens are kicked out of the country.
“Let me ask you about another group of people, the estimated 4 million families in America who have mixed immigration status. So I’m talking about parents who might be here illegally,” Welker said, “but the kids are here legally.”
“I don’t want to be breaking up families,” Trump replied. “So the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.”
As for U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for those born in the United States, the president-elect confirmed during the on-air interview that he intends to end birthright citizenship on the first day of his second term. Asked about trying to get around constitutional law with an executive action, Trump seemed determined. “[W]e have to end it,” he added, referring the 14th Amendment’s protections. “We’re the only country that has it, you know.” As is often the case, Trump was referring to a made-up detail — more than 30 countries around the world have birthright citizenship — because he often struggles with the policy specifics surrounding his own plans. Nevertheless, if the Republican is serious about this vision, the fights — legislative, legal and political — are going to be brutal. Watch this space.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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