“I Will Send Them Packing” if Elected, Thunders Trump in Anti-Immigration Rant

William FurneyOct 20, 2023

Minute Read

Former president Donald Trump says he will restore his hardline immigration policies decimated by the Biden administration if he wins the presidency next year.

Immigration Trump’s Cornerstone Policy

Trump won the White House in 2016 largely due to Republican voters’ approval of his promise to build a massive wall along the US-Mexican border to stop illegal migrants from crossing into the US. When in office, Trump enacted sweeping immigration reforms, including banning people from a number of Muslim countries.

Reversing Trump’s Measures

The subsequent Biden administration lifted most of the immigration measures brought in by Trump, although President Biden has faced criticism for resuming construction of the southern border wall. The president said, however, that funding for its extension had already been approved by the Trump administration.

‘Jihadist Sympathizers’ Targeted

Appearing at a rally in Clive, Iowa, on Tuesday, Trump said he would especially single out for deportation people living illegally in the United States who had “jihadist sympathies”. And he would, he told supporters, dispatch immigration officers to “pro-jihadist demonstrations” to find such people and order them out of the country.

Hamas Attack on Israel

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Trump was speaking just days after Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 people dead. The Israeli military responded with a barrage of rocket fire, in the worst escalation of violence in the region in decades. Around 4,000 people have died on both sides as the war continues. President Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

‘US Campus Support for Terrorists’

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Trump claimed at his Iowa rally that foreigners were whipping up support for Hamas and other terrorist organizations at American colleges.

“In the wake of the attacks on Israel, Americans have been disgusted to see the open support for terrorists among the legions of foreign nationals on college campuses. They’re teaching your children hate,” he said.

‘Straight Back Home’ Vow

Trump continued: “Under the Trump administration, we will revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners at our colleges and universities and we will send them straight back home.”

Trump Headwinds

Trump, 77, faces significant obstacles on his path back to the White House, if he receives the Republican Party nomination to be its choice of candidate, in primary voting starting early next year. Among his difficulties are a number of federal indictments that could see him jailed.

Post-Election Capitol Attack

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Trump had hoped to be elected for a second successive term but he lost the 2020 election to Biden. Claiming the vote had been “stolen” from him, he urged his supporters to protest at the US Capitol in Washington in January 2021. Violence broke out and five people were killed in the disturbance. Dozens were arrested and courts have been handing down lengthy prison sentences.

Election-Related Charges

A grand jury has indicted Trump for plotting to overturn the 2020 election results, along with preventing the peaceful transfer of presidential power. If convicted, Trump could face up to 20 years in jail. In another indictment, Trump is charged with illegally holding on to classified documents after leaving office, and sharing their details with others.

Civil Cases

The former president is also fighting off a number of civil charges, including fraud relating to his Trump Organization — a judge, in New York, has found that the business exaggerated the value of its property holdings and revoked some of its licenses — and he faces a fine of at least $250 million. In addition, Trump is in court against a former adult actress who claims he paid her hush money to keep quiet about an alleged affair.

‘All a Witch Hunt’

Trump has lashed out at prosecutors, lawyers, judges and court clerks involved in the various cases, and has received gag orders for his attacks on some via social media. He has claimed the cases are a “witch hunt” by Democratic operatives to try stop him from returning to the White House.

‘Willing to Be Jailed’

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Trump told supporters at the Iowa rally that he would willingly be imprisoned for the sake of the country. “I am willing to go to jail if that’s what it takes for our country to become a democracy again,” he said.

Israel Support from Trump

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Trump also spoke at the Iowa rally of his strong support for Israel.

“If you empathize with radical Islamic terrorists and extremists, you’re disqualified” from entering the United States, he said. “If you want to abolish the state of Israel, you’re disqualified. If you support Hamas or any ideology that’s having to do with that or any of the other really sick thoughts that go through people’s minds — very dangerous thoughts — you’re disqualified.”