On Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared that immigrants without permanent legal status should not have the right to trials, suggesting that his administration should be permitted to deport them without judicial involvement. These comments, made in the Oval Office in front of journalists, marked Trump’s latest critique of the judiciary, which he claims is hindering his deportation authority. Trump incorrectly asserted that countries like Congo and Venezuela have sent their prisoners to the United States, necessitating the circumvention of constitutional due process requirements to facilitate swift deportations.
Trump expressed a desire for judicial cooperation, arguing, “We have thousands of people ready to be deported, and you can’t have a trial for all of these people. The system wasn’t designed for that, and we don’t believe there is any requirement for it.” He maintained that those being deported included “very bad people,” such as killers, drug dealers, and individuals with mental illnesses. He stated, “We’re removing them, and a judge can’t insist on a trial,” warning that such trials could take two years and result in a “very dangerous country” if the administration is not allowed to act as it sees fit.
In a similar vein, Trump posted on social media the day before, claiming, “We cannot give everyone a trial, as it would take, without exaggeration, 200 years.” His remarks quickly drew criticism, with Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, D-Ill., responding on social media, suggesting that the comments sounded like dictatorial rhetoric and emphasized that due process is a constitutional right, not optional due to inconvenience.
These statements followed a decision by the Supreme Court, which temporarily halted the administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members under a seldom-used wartime law. Last month, Trump issued a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants alleged to be members of the violent Venezuelan street gang, Tren de Aragua. This law, enacted in 1798, has historically been invoked only three times during declared wars. The Supreme Court has mandated that individuals subject to this statute must be granted an opportunity to contest their deportation.
Additionally, the Trump administration has been embroiled in a case involving a Salvadoran man residing in Maryland who was deported due to an “administrative error.” Nearly two weeks ago, the Supreme Court directed the administration to facilitate his return for legal proceedings in the United States. However, the White House has not yet complied with this order and posted on social media that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is “never coming back.”
This information was originally reported by The New York Times.
