President Donald Trump offered some new comments on his immigration enforcement efforts after another federal judge, this one in New York, blocked his administration from deporting anyone in that state without “due process.”
In remarks at the White House, Trump chastised the ruling, saying, “You can’t have a trial for all of these people,” a nod to the millions of migrants who are in the country illegally, many of them let in by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
“And I hope we get cooperation from the courts, because, you know, we have thousands of people that are ready to go out, and you can’t have a trial for all of these people,” Trump said. “It wasn’t meant – the system wasn’t meant. And we don’t think there’s anything that says that.”
“Look, we are getting some very bad people, killers, murderers, drug dealers, really bad people, the mentally ill, the mentally insane,” Trump continued, suggesting it would take decades to adjudicate the millions of cases.
“And a judge can’t say, No, you have to have a trial that lets – the trial’s going to take two years. We’re going to have a very dangerous country if we’re not allowed to do what we’re entitled to do. And I won an election based on the fact that we get them out,” Trump added.
His border czar, Tom Homan, made similar remarks during an interview with Fox News earlier this week, Dailymail.com reported. In addition, Homan said that many, if not most, of the illegal migrants the Department of Homeland Security is targeting for removal have already been through immigration courts and have deportation orders pending.
He specifically mentioned Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the “Maryland man” whom Democrats have made their cause celebre after he was deported to his home country of El Salvador earlier this month. The U.S. Supreme Court has since ordered the administration to “facilitate” his return, despite the fact that two previous courts have determined he’s a member of the MS-13 gang, which Trump has designated a terrorist organization.
“I think due process was given, like the Maryland father, the MS-13 terrorist that was removed. He had due process. He was already removed by two different immigration judges,” Homan said.
Homan also pushed back against U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland, who criticized government attorneys for what she described as a failure “to respond in good faith.” She accused them of “willful and intentional noncompliance” and is currently reviewing whether to hold them in contempt of court.
“Bad faith? We removed an MS-13 gang member, public safety threat, wife beater, designated terrorist from the United States. He’s home. He’s a citizen El Salvador, a of native El Salvador, who had due process, despite what you’re hearing,” Homan said.
The border czar also said that the Biden administration “overwhelmed the system” by allowing a crush of illegal immigration into the country. “They know it’s going to take years to get through the court docket. By then, they’re hoping there’s another Democratic administration,” he said.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the Court’s left-leaning justices on Tuesday in a narrow immigration ruling that could signal the justices’ approach in upcoming immigration-related cases.
The 5-4 decision in Monsalvo Velazquez v. Bondi focused on the federal government’s interpretation of a 60-day “voluntary departure” window, a provision that allows certain immigrants—deemed to have “good moral character”—to leave the U.S. voluntarily within that period rather than face formal removal.
The court ruled that if a voluntary departure deadline under the 60-day timeframe falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, it must be extended to the next business day.
Writing for the majority, Gorsuch emphasized that this interpretation of the 60-day voluntary departure period is consistent with long-standing administrative practices, including those commonly applied in immigration law.