SCOOP: GOP rallies behind Trump on illegal immigration crackdown
THE LOWDOWN:
President Donald Trump’s historic crackdown on illegal immigration is a winning issue at both the polls and on the Hill, according to several of the president’s top allies in Congress.
Several Republican lawmakers made the declaration to the Washington Reporter in the wake of high-profile immigration-related wins from coast to coast, as well as the recent destructive riots in California that have dropped the supposed “protesters’” face masks.
Other Trump allies in Congress, like Rep. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho), told the Reporter that Trump’s moves are exactly what he voted for.
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) said that “President Trump authorized a targeted enforcement operation to remove the most dangerous individuals with criminal backgrounds who entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration.”
President Donald Trump’s historic crackdown on illegal immigration is a winning issue at both the polls and on the Hill, according to several of the president’s top allies in Congress.
Before and after rioters in Los Angeles took to the streets to destroy police cars and to protest Trump, the Trump administration touted how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrested over 100,000 illegal immigrants, and how Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) had seized 50,000 kilograms of meth precursor chemicals, among other wins.
Several Republican lawmakers made the declaration to the Washington Reporter in the wake of high-profile immigration-related wins from coast to coast, as well as the recent destructive riots in California that have dropped the supposed “protesters’” face masks.
Those wins alone, combined with record-breaking deportation flights, won praise from Capitol Hill.
“The previous administration not only ignored our laws but rewarded those who broke them,” Rep. Laurel Lee (R., Fla.),a former judge and federal prosecutor, told the Reporter, contrasting Trump’s wins with the failures of President Joe Biden.
“President Trump has been fighting since before he was sworn into office in January to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and protect the safety and sovereignty of our nation,” she said.
But following days of destruction in Los Angeles, Republicans told the Reporter that Trump’s moves are much-needed — and that Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) and Mayor Karen Bass — are failing the most basic tests of governance.
“President Trump is enforcing our laws and securing our border while politicians like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass are protecting illegal immigrants,” Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) told the Reporter.
Barr also noted that the riots make the case for one of Trump’s top legislative priorities.
“The Open Borders Riots in LA should be a wake-up call for U.S. senators: pass the Big, Beautiful Bill now,” Barr said. “This bill gives President Trump and his team the resources needed to seal our border and deport all illegal immigrants once and for all.”
Lawmakers like Rep. Ralph Norman (R., S.C.) told the Reporter that the Trump administration’s commitment to border security has strengthened states even thousands of miles from America’s borders. "The Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and restoring law and order continues to show results across the nation, including in South Carolina,” Norman said. “Just recently, a so-called 'cartel after party' in our state led to the arrest of over 80 individuals, including two known cartel members and one suspect wanted for murder. Without the Trump administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration and cartel activity, these dangerous individuals could have continued operating in our communities. Joe Biden didn’t have the courage to secure America, but President Trump does.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.) echoed Barr, telling the Reporter that “while President Trump is focused on making America safe again, Democrat politicians are watching illegal criminals attack police and federal vehicles while waving foreign flags on American soil. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass clearly lost control and President Trump’s leadership is helping restore order.”
Other Trump allies in Congress, like Rep. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho), told the Reporter that Trump’s moves are exactly what he voted for.
“According to Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, doubling down on failed sanctuary city policies, burning police cars and throwing cement bricks at ICE agents means things are ‘under control,’” Simpson said. “But having things under control actually means restoring law and order, protecting all Americans, securing our border, and supporting our brave ICE agents — issues that are overwhelmingly popular.”
“Thank God for President Trump,” Simpson added. “I voted for this — alongside 77 million Americans.”
While Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown has left Democrats stuck between a rock and a hard place, most Republicans are seeing exactly what they expected from the president.
“President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise and doing exactly what most Americans voted for,” Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) told the Reporter. “Our southern border is now as secure as it has ever been because of actions taken by President Trump, but he didn’t stop there.”
Huizenga said that “President Trump authorized a targeted enforcement operation to remove the most dangerous individuals with criminal backgrounds who entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration.”
Huizenga also took aim at liberal outlets that have been aiding the protests with their coverage, noting that while “some in the mainstream media sadly want to portray the criminal and violent behavior taking place in Los Angeles as peaceful protests, the fact of the matter is our communities are becoming safer each time a criminal is taken off the streets by the Trump administration.”
