Trump Says His Plan To Avoid Separating Families With…

Trump Says His Plan To Avoid Separating Families With Undocumented Parents Is Deporting Them All Together

Immigrant families and activists rally outside the Tennessee State Capitol against a bill that prohibits sanctuary city policies. (Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"I don't want to be break up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back", President-elect Donald Trump in an interview on Sunday.

In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News' Meet the Press, Trump continued to outline his plans to conduct mass deportation when he takes office, including a push to end birthright citizenship.

Trump reiterated his belief that strict immigration enforcement is necessary, noting that people who entered the U.S. legally have been treated unfairly compared to those who didn't. "We have to get the criminals out of our country," he said. "But we're starting with the criminals, and we got to do it," he told Kristen Welker.

Trump also addressed the issue of birthright citizenship, which guarantees U.S. citizenship to those born on American soil regardless of their parents' immigration status. He highlighted his intention to end this practice through executive action, calling it "ridiculous" and claiming that the U.S. is the only country that offers it. However, over 30 countries, including Canada and Brazil, provide the same right.

In another passage of the interview, Trump did express willingness to work with Democrats to create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children (known as Dreamers), currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which is renovated every two years.

Trump acknowledged the long time many Dreamers have spent in the U.S., and that many have become successful entrepreneurs or business owners.

There are an estimated 3.6 million Dreamers in the U.S., many of whom have spent decades in the country, considering it their home and losing ties to their countries of origin.

Created in 2012 by President Barack Obama, DACA grants renewable two-year permits that allow recipients to live and work legally in the U.S. As of August, approximately 535,000 individuals actively benefit from the program, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. However, no new applications have been accepted since 2021, when a federal judge deemed the program illegal, although current recipients can still renew their permits.

Trump also outlined other plans for his first days in office, vowing immediate action on several fronts, including pardoning those convicted in the January 6th Capitol attack. "These people are living in hell," he said. Trump further committed to extending the tax cuts from his first term and ruled out imposing restrictions on abortion pills

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