Donald Trump moves forward with plan to bus immigrants to sanctuary cities as backlash intensifies
- US president asserts he has ‘absolute legal right’ to bus undocumented immigrants to Democratic districts
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Caitlin Oprysko on politico.com on April 15, 2019.
US President Donald Trump on Monday signalled he was eager to move forward with a plan to bus undocumented immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities — prompting a battle with Democrats that could easily scuttle any nascent congressional movement on the issue.
“Those Illegal Immigrants who can no longer be legally held (Congress must fix the laws and loopholes) will be, subject to Homeland Security, given to Sanctuary Cities and States!” the president declared in a tweet.
“Who do you think these countries are giving us? They are not giving us their finest, this I can tell you,” Trump told reporters on Monday afternoon. He said he needs the Republicans to win back the House of Representatives, however, to make changes he wants to the law. “I can’t blame the Republicans, the Republicans want to do it.”
If Trump moves forward, he’s certain to face backlash from the Democrat-controlled House and potentially from his own party.