Former acting ICE director and President-elect Donald Trump’s future border czar Tom Homan recently reiterated his firm stance on illegal immigration. Homan specifically emphasized enforcing laws prohibiting the harboring of illegal immigrants.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has opposed Trump’s deportation plans, stating he’d face jail to resist enforcement. Earlier, he had suggested there may be protests and an obstruction of deportations in Colorado. Johnston said, “Yeah, I’m not afraid of that [jail time], and I’m also not seeking that. I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people [on] how to solve hard problems.”
Johnston added, “In Denver we respect the law and enforce it without fear or favor across every inch of our city. If Donald Trump tries to break the law and abuse his power, he will get no help from us.”
Homan noted that he would enforce the law if needed, and argued local leaders should step aside, as securing the country is a federal mandate. “You are absolutely breaking the law. All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S. and he would see he’s breaking the law. But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail,” Homan said.
Homan stated, “President Trump has been clear, we want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats. I find it hard to believe that any governor would say they don’t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods.”
Homan added, “If Johnston doesn’t want to protect his communities, Trump and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency would.”
Johnston said, “In Denver we respect the law and enforce it without fear or favor across every inch of our city. If Donald Trump tries to break the law and abuse his power, he will get no help from us.”
Johnston added, “Denver is proud to be a welcoming city, and we will do everything in our power to protect those who live here. We are considering a number of options to strengthen protections for all our residents, and we continue to provide education about the rights of our immigrant community so they can best protect themselves from any unlawful actions.”
