U.S. President-elect Donald Trump Vows to Limit Immigration and Launch Deportation Effort
Donald Trump told thousands of supporters at a rally in Washington, D.C. that he would impose severe limits on immigration and launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history on his first day in office. Trump repeated his campaign pledge to remove millions of immigrants, although such an operation would likely take years and be hugely costly.
At the “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at the Capital One Arena, Trump also vowed to repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration” and to take over 200 executive actions on Monday. He said he would classify drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” declare an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and move towards reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Trump’s deportation plans have unsettled immigrants subject to removal, including some who are law-abiding, long-term residents with U.S.-citizen spouses and children. He also pledged to “get radical woke ideologies the hell out of our military” and to order the military to construct a missile defense shield over the U.S.
The rally was Trump’s first major address in Washington since his speech on January 6, 2021, that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol by an angry mob of his supporters. Trump has said he will pardon many of the over 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the attack.
Trump’s inauguration is set to take place on Monday, with thousands of supporters expected to attend. The event will be marked by a shift in tone, with Trump’s administration expected to take a more authoritarian approach to governance.
