In his first extensive post-election interview on 60 Minutes that will be aired on November 13 at 7 p.m. ET/PT, President-elect Donald Trump has said he will deport or jail up to three million illegal immigrants initially.
Those targeted would be immigrants with criminal records, such as gang members and drug dealers, Donald Trump said.
The president-elect also confirmed that another election promise, to build a wall with Mexico, still stood but could include fencing.
Photo AP
Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in November 8 presidential vote.
His victory shocked many who had expected Hillary Clinton to win following favorable opinion polls.
Donald Trump is due to take over at the White House on January 20, when President Barack Obama steps down after two terms in office.
Both houses of Congress are also under Republican control.
Asked about his plans for the Mexican border, Donald Trump said “a wall is more appropriate” in some parts but “there could be some fencing”,
Other undocumented immigrants would be assessed once the border was secured, Donald Trump added.
However, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said earlier that border security was a greater priority than mass deportation.
“We are not planning on erecting a deportation force,” he told CNN’s State of the Union program.
“I think we should put people’s minds at ease.”
Forcing Mexico to pay for a border wall became a rallying cry among Donald Trump supporters during the campaign.
Donald Trump caused outrage by suggesting Mexicans were exporting “their rapists” to the US, along with drugs and other crime.
Donald Trump has announced he will develop a tracking system to help authorities control immigration.
Speaking on the campaign trail in Iowa, the Republican presidential nominee outlined what he called an “entry-exit” program, which would track those who overstay their visas.
Donald Trump also reiterated his support for building a wall along the southern border with Mexico.
Photo Getty Images
The New York businessman said he would stop illegal immigrants getting welfare benefits.
“I am going to build a great border wall, institute nationwide e-verify, stop illegal immigrants from accessing welfare and entitlements, and develop an exit-entry tracking system to ensure those who overstay their visas are quickly removed,” Donald Trump said.
“If we don’t enforce visa expiration dates, then we have an open border – it’s as simple as that,” he added.
Immigration was a central issue in Donald Trump’s primary campaign.
Earlier this week, the controversial Republican signaled he would soften his immigration plans.
Instead of deporting all 11 million people living illegally in the United States as he had suggested before, Donald Trump said only criminals would go.
Donald Trump was immediately criticized by the right of the Republican party, with Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin warning him of “massive disappointment” if he backed down on his plan to deport undocumented immigrants.
Donald Trump told a bikers’ rally in Washington DC that illegal immigrants in the US often get better care than the nation’s military veterans.
“We’re not going to allow that to happen any longer,” he said.
The Republican presidential nominee did not provide any evidence for his assertion.
In 2015, Donald Trump sparked anger by attacking the military record of Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war.
Donald Trump said John McCain was only considered a hero because he was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.
Photo Getty Images
He then added: “I like people who weren’t captured.”
Since then Donald Trump, who never served in the military, has tried to repair the damage by frequently honoring veterans at his rallies and holding fundraising events for them.
The billionaire’s latest comments came at the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally on Sunday, which was dedicated to remembering POWs and those missing in action.
Despite previous criticism, many in the crowd cheered Donald Trump.
He was speaking ahead of the June 7 California primary.
Donald Trump is running unopposed in California after his Republican rivals pulled out and he reached the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination. It has yet to be formalized.
In a recent interview, Donald Trump says he wants to end the automatic right to citizenship for all children born in the US.
Under the current law, all children born in the United States – even if their parents are illegal immigrants – get citizenship under the constitution.
Other measures the Republican presidential hopeful outlined would include raising visa fees to pay for a wall along the Mexican border.
Immigration is a central plank of Donald Trump’s campaign to be the Republican contender in next year’s election.
“They have to go,” he told NBC’s Chuck Todd during Meet The Press interview.
A tough deportation policy was needed, Donald Trump said, because “there’s definitely evidence” of crimes linked to immigrants living in the country illegally.
He said he would also deport all undocumented immigrants, and pay for a tripling of the number of immigration officers by eliminating tax credit payments to immigrant families residing illegally in the US.
Donald Trump added families with US-born children could return quickly if deemed worthy by the government.
“We’re going to try and bring them back rapidly, the good ones,” the Republican front-runner candidate said.
He added: “We will expedite it so people can come back in.”
“The good people can come back,” Donald Trump said, without elaborating.
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