Debate Erupts Over Potential Deportation of US Citizens

A CNN anchor questioned a high-ranking House Republican on Sunday about whether Congress would allow the Trump administration to continue its mass deportation strategy if American citizens became targets. The possibility of deporting US citizens has been raised by President Donald Trump on multiple occasions in recent weeks, despite it being illegal.

During a White House visit, Trump suggested to the president of El Salvador that he expand a prison to house Americans. He has also proposed this as a punishment for demonstrators who vandalize or commit arson.

On Sunday, CNN's Dana Bash interviewed House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. She repeatedly asked Emmer, in his capacity as an attorney and lawmaker, if he believed Trump had the legal authority to deport American citizens convicted of violent crimes. Emmer avoided answering the question directly, instead focusing on the administration's efforts to remove individuals without legal status who have committed serious crimes.

Bash continued to press Emmer, but he did not provide a direct answer. He stated that the administration's focus was on protecting US citizens from violence and crime, contrasting this with Democrats who, in his view, seemed to protect illegal aliens.

In contrast, Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana provided a clear response to the same question on NBC's Meet the Press. He stated that deporting US citizens or housing criminals in other countries was neither appropriate nor moral. He emphasized that the US has its own laws and the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.

News service AZPM reported on a case where a 19-year-old American citizen, Jose Hermosillo, was detained by ICE for over a week after being stopped in Arizona. The officers did not believe he was a US citizen. He was eventually released after family members provided identification. His relatives stated that he likely would have been deported if they had not provided the documents.

Aside from the potential for US citizens being mistakenly caught up in the deportation campaign, Trump has also suggested it as a punishment for Americans. He has specifically mentioned violent criminals. While discussing the idea, Trump stated he would only act "according to the law." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the idea but admitted the administration was unsure of its legality.