MIAMI – President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he's delaying a nationwide sweep planned for 10 U.S. cities, including Miami, to deport people living in the U.S. illegally.
"At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border,'" Trump wrote on Twitter. "If not, Deportations start!"
At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border. If not, Deportations start!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2019
Earlier in the day, Trump defended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, arguing that targeted families have been running from the law.
"The people that Ice will apprehend have already been ordered to be deported," Trump tweeted. "This means that they have run from the law and run from the courts. These are people that are supposed to go back to their home country. They broke the law by coming into the country, & now by staying."
The people that Ice will apprehend have already been ordered to be deported. This means that they have run from the law and run from the courts. These are people that are supposed to go back to their home country. They broke the law by coming into the country, & now by staying.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2019
Three administration officials told The Associated Press the operation had been canceled because details had leaked in the media and officer safety could be jeopardized. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly on the operation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The operation was expected to begin Sunday and would have targeted people with final orders of removal, including families whose immigration cases had been fast-tracked by judges.
Trump earlier this week tweeted that an operation was upcoming and said the agency would begin to remove "millions" of people.
Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people.......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
Before departing Washington for Camp David on Saturday, Trump told reporters Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is "doing a very smart thing" by ending so-called "sanctuary cities" in the state.
DeSantis signed a bill earlier this month that requires local and state law enforcement to honor federal "immigration detainer" requests and prohibits local officials from implementing "sanctuary" policies.
"People are tired of sanctuary cities and what it does and the crime it brings," Trump said. "They're very tired of it."