Amid the ongoing debate over Haitian immigration, former President Trump vowed to “save our cities” from what he called an “immigrant invasion” and revealed plans to cut several immigration programs if re-elected to the White House.
“As President I will immediately end immigration into America,” Trump said in a social media post on Sunday.
Trump has spent much of his campaign promising to secure the southern border. He said last week he wanted to be known as the “border president” and has previously promised to launch a mass deportation effort.
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But on Sunday, he also refocused on broader immigration policies not directly related to the southern border or illegal immigration, such as Biden's administration-era moves to end humanitarian parole and halt refugee resettlement.
“We will stop all migrant flights, end all illegal immigration, terminate the CBP One App, the app used to smuggle illegal immigrants, revoke deportation exemptions, suspend refugee resettlement, and return illegal immigrants to their home countries (also known as re-immigration),” he said.
The comments came after a high-profile influx of Haitian migrants into the small town of Springfield, Ohio. During last week's presidential debate, Trump repeated a trending claim that migrants have been seen eating pets and animals.
“In Springfield, they're eating dogs, and people who come in there are eating cats,” Trump said. “They're eating the pets of the people who live there.”
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Springfield city officials have denied the allegations, saying there is no evidence or substantiated reports of such incidents, but local residents have expressed concern and anger about the impact that the influx of more than 12,000 immigrants from poorer countries has had on their town.
Former President Trump participated in a Fox News town hall meeting with Sean Hannity at New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on September 4, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Trump's proposal lays out ways to limit the number of routes through which people, including Haitians, can legally enter or remain in the U.S., some of which are being created or expanded under the Biden administration.
Trump's reference to migrant travel appears to be a reference to the parole processes in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, where up to 30,000 migrants enter each month and are on parole in the U.S. for 18 months. Trump could repeal the CHNV and potentially limit parole renewals as well.
President Trump also addressed the end of the “deportation exemption” for “Temporary Protected Status,” which protects nationals of designated countries from deportation and grants them work authorization. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently redesignated Haiti's Temporary Protected Status, extending it until February 2026.
In an official FAQ, the city of Springfield said the approximately 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian migrants in the city arrived on parole and are protected by TPS.
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Trump also said he would halt use of the “Kamala Phone App,” or CBP One app. The app was introduced during the Trump administration but expanded by the Biden administration to allow migrants to make appointments at ports of entry to be paroled into the U.S. Currently, about 1,450 migrants are paroled into the U.S. each day through the app. Republicans have said use of the app is an abuse of parole, which is limited on a case-by-case basis when there is a significant public interest or urgent humanitarian need.
Trump also promised to suspend refugee resettlement, which had fallen to its lowest levels under the Trump administration. In his final year in office, the administration imposed a cap of 15,000 per year. Under Biden, the cap has been expanded to 125,000.
“I will save Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and cities and towns across America. #MAGA2024!” Trump said in a social media post.
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The plan stands in contrast to the Biden administration, which has significantly expanded “legal pathways” as part of its strategy to address a historic crisis at the southern border. The Biden administration has also criticized Trump for not supporting bipartisan legislation that would increase funding for border agencies and restrict some crossings into the U.S. once certain levels are reached.
