President Donald Trump said that immigration raids “haven’t gone far enough” despite videos showing physical confrontations among federal agents, immigrants and protesters.
“I think they haven’t gone far enough because we’ve been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama,” Trump said in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, when asked if he approved of tactics shown in videos such as throwing people to the ground, smashing car windows and using tear gas in residential neighborhoods.
Trump said the tactics used by immigration agents were acceptable “because you have to get the people out.” Trump also repeated his claim that many of those detained had criminal records.
CBS posted excerpts of the interview airing Sunday.
The president’s comments come after his administration expanded a federal program that deputizes local police to enforce immigration laws, signing up nearly 16,000 officers across 40 states as part of an effort to boost deportations, according to data reviewed by Bloomberg News.
While the expansion has led to more arrests, especially in Florida, many local agencies are reluctant to participate. The deployment has also raised concerns about racial profiling, wrongful arrests, and political pressure on law enforcement to align with federal immigration crackdowns.