President Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Sunday on ABC's “This Week” that deportations could expand past criminals to illegal immigrants.
Homan: We have troops on the border who not only help us get military planes out, help us build infrastructure, but also put up bellows of wire to create a secure border. Break those boundaries. The Pentagon has supported governments in the past, but not at this level, doubling military strength and sending a strong signal to the world that our borders are closed.
RADDATZ: So is this the end result that we're going to see every day, with the millions of people being deported that the president promised?
Homan: Yes. But as we open the door, we'll see that number steadily increase and we'll see an increase in the number of arrests across the country. Right now, we're concentrating on threats to public safety, threats to national security. That means the population is small. So we're going to make this a priority, that's President Trump's promise. But as that opening opens, there will be more arrests across the country.
RADDATZ: When you talk about openings, the estimates of people who have probably been convicted or arrested in the past are anywhere from 700,000 to over 1 million. So, after you do that, do you go after everyone who is in the country illegally?
Homan: If you're in the country illegally, you're put on the table because it's not okay to violate the laws of this country. Remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you are violating a crime under 8 U.S.C., and it is a crime.
Therefore, there is a problem in the country where you are staying illegally. That's why I hope that all illegal immigrants who have not been ordered deported by a federal judge should leave the country.
RADDATZ: While you emphasized pursuing national security threats, you also said that “nobody can be ignored.” “If you're here illegally, you better look away.'' “You should be scared and start packing now.'' They're doing it to evict hotel workers and farm workers. Does that mean they get scared and leave?
Homan: Look, if you're in the country illegally, I think that's a no-no. It's not okay to violate the laws of this country. We have millions of people lining up, taking tests, doing background checks, and paying the exam fees in the right way.
