Republican lawmakers don’t know the details of Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan. They just know, as Trump prepares to take office, that they support whatever it will end up being.
Do they have any legal questions about using the military for the “largest deportation program in American history,” like Trump said this week he will? Not really. Surely, they say, his team will make sure it’s conducted lawfully. The price tag and logistics? Trump will figure those out. Are GOP lawmakers concerned it might affect their constituents? They’re certain the deportation will target violent criminals first and not the many migrants who are legally authorized to live and work in the United States.
“In my eyes, this is about people that are convicted criminals and those that have been denied their asylum claims,” Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said in an interview. “Those that are still awaiting the process, the president has never said — I’ve never heard him say — that he’s going to deport people like that.”