Trump retreats from vow to deport all living in U.S. illegally
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers an immigration policy speech during a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center today in Phoenix.
PHOENIX » Donald Trump is retreating from his vow to deport the nation’s entire population of people living in the country illegally, even as he sticks with an aggressive tone on illegal immigration and remains committed to building a physical wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
The Republican nominee for president promised today to remove millions of people living in the country illegally if elected president, warning that failure to do so would jeopardize the “well-being of the American people.”
“Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation,” Trump said in a highly anticipated speech, which took place mere hours after his surprise meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in his first trip abroad as the GOP nominee.
But the billionaire New Yorker also said the effort of a proposed immigration task force in a Trump administration would focus on removing criminals, people who have overstayed their visas and other immediate security threats.
Left unanswered by Trump: What would happen to those who have not committed crimes beyond their immigration offenses?
Aimed at ending weeks of confusion over just where he stands on immigration, Trump’s fiery speech was filled with applause lines for his loyal supporters.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Any person living in the country illegally who is arrested “for any crime whatsoever,” he said, will immediately be placed into deportation proceedings. “There will be no amnesty,” he added, saying immigrants in the country without permission who wish to seek legal status or citizenship must return to their home countries in order to do so.
But there was no direct mention of a core promise of his primary campaign — to create a “deportation force” that would remove all of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally.
Trump instead repeated the standard Republican talking point that only after securing the border can a discussion begin to take place about all such immigrants, ducking the major question that has frustrated past congressional attempts at remaking the nation’s immigration laws.
That omission didn’t bother Dan Stein, who leads the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that pushes for stricter immigration policies. He called Trump’s speech the outline of “a coherent and workable strategy.”
“But even more important than the details of the plan itself,” Stein said, “Trump laid out the most fundamental principle for true immigration reform: The policy exists to protect and serve ‘the well-being of the American people,’ and ‘protect all aspects of American life.’”
Critics, meanwhile, said Trump’s glossing over the fate of people who are peacefully living in the U.S. without permission doesn’t make up for his overall approach.
“It is still the most extreme position of any modern presidential candidate,” said Frank Sharry, a leading immigration advocate. “It is deeply unpopular with voters, and profoundly un-American.”
Even as he beat a retreat from his earlier pledge to deport all illegal immigrants from the country, Trump’s aggressive tone in Phoenix marked a shift from earlier in the day. A much more measured Trump described Mexicans as “amazing people” as he appeared alongside Pena Nieto in Mexico’s capital city.
The good feelings from his first meeting with a head of state as his party’s presidential nominee lasted only a short time, as a dispute arose in the hours after he left Mexico City over the most contentious part of the billionaire’s plans to fight illegal immigration — his insistence that Mexico must pay to build a physical wall along the roughly 2,000-mile U.S. southern border.
Trump told reporters during his afternoon appearance with Pena Nieto that the two men didn’t discuss who would pay for a cost of construction pegged in the billions. Silent at that moment, Pena Nieto later tweeted, “I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall.”
With the meeting held behind closed doors, it was impossible to know who was telling the truth.
Trump told the rowdy Arizona crowd that he respects the Mexican president. “We agreed on the importance of ending the illegal flow of drugs, cash, guns and people across our border and to put the cartels out of business,” he said.
Yet, standing on American soil, he addressed directly a question he sidestepped when asked in Mexico.
“Mexico will pay for the wall, 100 percent,” the New York businessman said. “They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to pay for the wall.”
The Mexican president, however, said on Twitter that the subject was among the first things the men discussed. “From there, the conversation addressed other issues, and developed in a respectful manner,” Pena Nieto wrote.
Trump was cheered in Arizona, but his appearance in Mexico sparked anger and protests. The candidate is deeply unpopular in Mexico due in large part to his deriding the country as a source of rapists and criminals as he kicked off his campaign. He piled on in the months to come, attacked the country over free trade, illegal immigration and border security.
Campaigning in Ohio, Democrat Hillary Clinton jabbed at Trump’s Mexican appearance as she promoted her own experience working with foreign leaders as the nation’s chief diplomat.
“People have to get to know that they can count on you, that you won’t say one thing one day and something totally different the next,” she told the American Legion in Cincinnati.
37 responses to “Trump retreats from vow to deport all living in U.S. illegally”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!
STOP ORGANIZED CRIME!!!
VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBENTS!!!
The world caves in to crime: Invasion of the country is now legal, at least it will not be prosecuted. The endgame of the good times.
A wall wouldn’t do much good, They can just tunnel under it, Tunnels are all over the place.
Trump said there would be sensors above and underground to stop going over or under. Just saying what he said. He also was very clear in saying there would be absolutely no amnesty, and anchor babies would not be considered American just because they were born here of illegal immigrant parents. They would be returned with their parents to where they came from. would require an amendment to the Constitution to disallow anchor babies.
Mitt_Grund, a constitutional amendment will be difficult and take time (a decade) to pass. Congress must pass a well worded law, which has been initiated, that children born in the United States from legal and naturalized citizens of the United States shall be citizens of the United States. The legislation will be signed by President Trump and for certain the liberal democrats will challenge it in the Federal Courts. By that time, President Trump’s nominee will be sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court and decide the Law to be Constitutional.
We don’t need wall or sensors. What we need is death penalty after being warned to not enter illegally.
A common sense speech from a common sense man. Well done sir! By contrast the speech Hillary gave in Cincinnati was lacking in many ways. Not the least of which was her appearance. She looked like she just rolled out of bed. Her hair was matted and she had enormous bags under her eyes. I think the strain of constant lying may be fatiguing her more that anyone knew. Frankly I’m worried she may not make it to the election before she needs inpatient care. Where’s Bernie when you need him? Oh that’s right the DNC railroaded him out of the race so Mrs Clinton could be coronated. Buyer’s remorse anyone?
I wonder why no one questions why she always wears pajamas in public?
Presidential? All she does is screech and holler. Utterly disgusting white trash.
Hey hey…you just upset Kim Jong-un..that’s his borrowed wardrobe you be talkin bout!
no she did not roll out of bed, she got into a fight the night before with bill, because what bill said yesterday that the T.V. news won’t tell you. bill came out and said we should give the 10,000 Syrians that came into this country to go to Detroit and give them factory jobs if Companies start up Factory’s, overlooking the blacks that could use those jobs. again putting the blacks down. so by him saying that, she gave it to him, that’s why she looked so terrible. lost the black votes in Detroit.
LOL I couldn’t believe that Bubba said that!!! Unbelievable!! Wonder if the libs here know about that..don’t think MSM reported it.
it was in page 3 the other day in the liberal press the N.Y. Times
Stop blaming the media or rigged election process for being behind. Your fellow Republicans are turning away from you:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-republicans-idUSKCN1175Z3
Blame yourself, Donald. Take responsibility for your own actions.
Trump has balls to go to Mexico, that much is sure.
SWYT, and Mr. Trump did not retreat from vow to deport all illegal aliens/immigrants. Wonder if AP or SA developed the headline?
He went but it was obvious that he left his balls at home. Looked very uncomfortable on camera. Very frankly he looked scared. What happened to the in your face punk a-s
Looked like a 5th grade boy who got in trouble and has to stand in front of the class and make a “Sorry, I was disrespectful…” speech. He doesn’t really believe it but has to say it so the teacher won’t call his parents, or so that he can go to recess.
If anyone feels embarrassed about the low quality of this comment section, please don’t. The Washington Post comments are every bit as troglodytic and clueless.
A good example of a self-referential statement.
Former Trump supporters should be angry at him because he’s softened, flip-flopped, and been vague about how he’s going to deliver his promises.
Exactly how many illegals will he deport? And how many days before he changes his answer?
How will he build his great wall? What materials? Will he apologize for being too scared to demand that Mexico pay for it?
Will he apply his macho immigration standards to his own modeling agency?
What does “extreme vetting” mean? Why doesn’t he vet his own campaign staff?
Trump is erratic and, despite all the tough talk, changes his position weekly. Former Trump fans, you should not accept all this wavering.
DUMP TRUMP!
I don’t get how this wall will be paid for. Let’s say he’s elected. And he says that work on the wall will begin on Feb 5. So, on Feb. 5, whoever’s hired begins working. After two weeks — how do they get paid? Does he expect Mexico to send out the payroll every two weeks? Does he expect to insist Mexico make advance bulk payments so the payroll can be administered state side? Is he going to use US money to pay for it and then ask Mexico to pay when wall is completed? Mexico is not going to pay for that wall, so if we go by the latter option, we’ll be stuck holding the bag. I know he thinks that saying we’ll cancel our fed aid to Mexico if they don’t pay will do it. But Mexico will not want to back down and will say “fine.” In a quick search, I found one stat that said in 2013 we gave Mexico 51.5 million. I don’t think that would cover the cost of a wall. The new Bay Bridge in SF will have a cost of 6.4 billion. The tunnel they’re building in Seattle is 3.3 billion. A wall wouldn’t be as difficult as a bridge or tunnel, but I’d think we’d still be looking at @ least a billion, considering how long they want to make it.
Classified emails and the Clinton Foundation should be the main topic not who is going to pay for the wall. Lock her up. If you are worried about paying for something how about the rail?
@sarge, I don’t know where you get that I was worried. My post merely poses a question: what are the logistics of how people working on this wall are going to get paid. I don’t express any emotion either way. And since Trump keeps talking about it, surely it’s reasonable to ask how it’s going to be done. If someone proposes plans, you naturally want to know how they will implement them, especially if they’ll be using your money; isn’t that how you hire a contractor? You seem terribly defensive; that, to me, indicates someone who is worried. As far as rail, I’ve been to Seattle, they’ve extended their light rail this year and it’s fantastic; no need to get a cab or bus from the airport anymore. I’d def pay more in taxes to get light rail on Oahu working as well as Seattle’s. Too bad they can’t bring it into Waikiki, that would be a great help. Their light rail came in on schedule, and under budget, so maybe those working on the light rail here should see what the Seattle crew did. Oddly, Seattle’s also building an underground tunnel for car traffic, that’s way behind schedule and way over budget. Different people working on that one.
@ PoiDoggy. When just about every story in the SA and MSM is an attack on Trump you have a tendency to become defensive. I like the offense so just have to keep up with the corrupt Clintons. I am definitely worried that HiLIARy will become president and care less about how the wall will be built. The details will be worked out in due time.
If you don’t make even a preliminary plan on how it’ll be done, you’ll end up like our ridiculous HART fiasco.
And same as with HART, if there’s no pre-plan, that means there was no serious thought put in it. No leadership.
You sound like a worried Clingon. Crooked Hilliary is 10 points ahead in the polls. She’s running on her record. Millions in Clinton Cash, billionaire friends, Hollywood elite. Let Trump have his fun. Nothing to worry about.
You should be proud of Corrupt, Crooked Hilliary as your choice. She’s done a great job ripping off the American People. As long as she has people like you she’ll win in a mudslide.
POLLS are changing…as of today, some have The Donald ahead.
Hahahahahahaha haha amigo.
did whoever write the title to this article actually listen to the speech?
Another AP hit piece. Hey SA, can you provide any other sources of news. Won’t happen will it.
SA missed this one >>> Hillary Clinton’s popularity has hit a new low with registered voters, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll.
The poll, released Wednesday, shows just 41 percent of Americans have a positive view of Clinton while 56 percent have a negative view. Her unfavorable rating is up 6 percentage points in three weeks.
The numbers still show her doing better than Republican rival Donald Trump, whom just 35 percent view favorably. But Trump has long been the less popular candidate in such polls. Wednesday’s survey reflects the worst rating Clinton has had in her entire career, and a slide in her numbers since the Democratic National Convention in July.
The shift seems to correspond to renewed focus on her use of a private email server and alleged conflicts of interest during her tenure as secretary of state involving the Clinton Foundation.
Her popularity among women flipped from 54-43 percent last month to 45-52 percent this month. It’s the first time in more than a year that women have viewed Clinton so unfavorably.
“profoundly un-American”
What – telling people who snuck in that they have to go back in line and wait their turn?
Sneaking and wiggling around the law is American?
Reminds me of certain someone who wears a pant suit.
Goes to Mexico talk nice to the President and comes back to Arizona and his the old Trump again. W
Called politics which Trump is new at…hiLIARy on the other is a PRO LIAR…you believe everything she says right?
Trump’s plan sounds good to me. At least he has one.
I read these comments and wish that Trump
supporters would stop complaining about Clinton’e state department emails. It is a non-issue. The FBI has said she was careless with her handling of email, as were previous Secretaries of State, but that neither criminal activity nor intent was found. The Republican controlled Congress has tried for years to charge Clinton with criminal wrongdoing, but has been unable to come up with anything. Let’s move on from these fantasies and take up real issues.