Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) criticized the possibility that President-elect Trump has indicated in recent days that he is open to using the U.S. military to carry out mass deportations.
“I don't support putting troops into cities in an emergency. I think that's a big mistake,” Paul said Tuesday on Newsmax's “Rob Schmidt Tonight.”
The Kentucky senator's comments came as President Trump indicated that his second administration would declare a national emergency on immigration and call in the military to carry out mass deportations.
On Monday, President Trump recirculated a post on social media suggesting his administration would pursue this idea, labeling the claim “TRUE!!!”
Who is Paul? configured to provide As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he further denounced the idea during an interview.
“I'm not in favor of sending uniformed troops into cities to gather people,” Paul said. “I think that's a terrible image, and that's not what we use the military for.”
Paul suggested that military training would not help with deportation.
“They are not trained to obtain warrants to do what they do. Police have a difficult job, but it is the domestic agency of the police, not the military, that removes people from our country. There needs to be,” Paul said.
Mr. Paul supports Mr. Trump and added that he doesn't want the military to be used to “deport people here illegally, especially people who have committed crimes.”
“I'm against troops marching through the streets,” Paul said.
“I hope he does. [Trump] “I would think twice about using emergency proclamations to have the Army patrol our country,” Paul later added.
