Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Trump Says Only 1 Person Is in Charge of Immigration: Him
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
April 10, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says there’s only one person in charge of his immigration policy: Him.
Asked by reporters Wednesday whether he had considered tapping his influential aide, Stephen Miller, to lead the Department of Homeland Security given Miller’s focus on the issue, Trump was ready with praise — but not a promotion.
“Stephen is an excellent guy. He’s a wonderful person. … He’s a brilliant man,” Trump said as he departed for Texas. But “frankly, there’s only one person that’s running it,” Trump said. “You know who that is? It’s me.”
Trump on Sunday announced that Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection, would be taking over as acting secretary in the wake of Kirstjen Nielsen’s sudden departure.
Asked whether Trump was considering nominating McAleenan as his permanent secretary, Trump said it “could happen.”
“We have others, but right now he’s the man,” said Trump.

Administration Separated More Than 2,500 Children From Their Families

The comments came a day after Trump said he was not looking to revive the much-criticized practice of separating migrant children from their families at the southern border, as he has privately threatened, amid bipartisan pushback to his shake-up at Homeland Security. At the same time, he suggested the policy had worked to deter migrants from coming into the U.S., although he offered no evidence to support his position.
Last summer the administration separated more than 2,500 children from their families before international outrage forced Trump to halt the practice and a judge ordered them reunited.
“We’re not looking to do that,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday before meeting with Egypt’s president at the White House. But he also noted: “Once you don’t have it, that’s why you see many more people coming. They’re coming like it’s a picnic, because let’s go to Disneyland.”
The potential reinstatement of one of the most divisive practices of Trump’s tenure was just one aspect of the upheaval at the Department of Homeland Security this week that culminated with Nielsen’s resignation. Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady, a 28-year civil servant, technically next in line for secretary, was forced to resign Tuesday to make room for Trump’s pick to replace Nielsen, according to two people familiar with the decision.
With talk that more top officials were likely to be ousted, Republicans expressed public and private concerns about the shake-up orchestrated by the White House and cautioned that leadership changes wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said his committee would look at the staff shake-up at Homeland Security, although he said he had not decided on calling in Nielsen.

President Had Made a Series of Leadership Changes

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said there was a serious problem going on between the White House and Homeland Security.
“If everybody’s sitting around waiting for a shiny new wonder pony to ride in and solve it, we’re going to be waiting a long time,” he said.
At hearings across Capitol Hill, lawmakers also grilled administration officials on whether the family separation practice would resurface despite last year’s outrage and evidence that separations were likely to cause lasting psychological effects on the children.
People familiar with immigration discussions within the administration said family separation was one of several ideas Trump had revived in recent weeks as he and his aides try to tackle the problem of an ever-growing number of Central American families crossing into the U.S. The people were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
A senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity Tuesday said the president had made a series of leadership changes at DHS because of frustrations that department officials weren’t fast enough at implementing changes, such as a new regulation that would challenge a longstanding agreement limiting how long children can be detained.
The White House also was weighing a tougher standard to evaluate initial asylum claims, proposing a “binary choice” that would force migrant families to choose between remaining with their children in detention until their immigration cases were decided or sending their children to government shelters while the parents remained in detention.
The administration also is considering clamping down on remittance payments that Mexican nationals send to their families, the official said.

Top Republicans Concerned About Homeland Security

Amid the pushback, Trump told reporters he was not “cleaning house” at the agency despite the numerous staff changes.
But as Trump was speaking, the senior administration official was making a case to reporters about why the president felt changes were necessary. He described the agency as a large and unwieldy civilian bureaucracy in need of leadership that can deal with career officials resistant to the president’s agenda, including many responsible for implementing some of the very policies Trump seeks to roll back.
Top Republicans in Congress also expressed concern over vacancies at Homeland Security and cautioned Trump to heed off more churn after Nielsen’s resignation.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, made both a public and private plea to the White House not to dismiss career homeland security officials, including the director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Lee Francis Cissna, whose future remained uncertain Tuesday.
He said he had spoken to acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney but “never heard anything final” about Cissna.

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

DON'T MISS

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

DON'T MISS

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

DON'T MISS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

DON'T MISS

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

DON'T MISS

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

DON'T MISS

Former Fresno State Bull Rider, a Vietnam Vet, Calls Central Valley Honor Flight ‘Life-Changing’

DON'T MISS

Don’t Expect Kamala Harris’ Loss to Boost Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Prospects

DON'T MISS

Questions About Sexual Orientation and Gender ID on Track to Be on US Census Bureau Survey by 2027

UP NEXT

Trump Promises to Bring Lasting Peace to a Tumultuous Middle East. But Fixing It Won’t Be Easy

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

UP NEXT

North Korea’s Long-Range Missile Test Signals Its Improved, Potential Capability to Attack US

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Indicted for Possessing Stolen Guns

UP NEXT

On Elon Musk’s X, Dems Are an Endangered Species While GOP Goes Viral

UP NEXT

New Vehicles, Face Paint and a 1,200-Foot Fall: The US Army Prepares for War With China

UP NEXT

CNN Bars Pro-Trump Guest After His ‘Beeper’ Remark to Mehdi Hasan

UP NEXT

LGBTQ Supporters Drown Out Westboro Baptists’ Anti-Gay Message in Fresno

UP NEXT

The ‘Black Insurrectionist’ Was Actually White. The Deception Did Not Stop There

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

2 hours ago

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

2 hours ago

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

2 hours ago

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

3 hours ago

Former Fresno State Bull Rider, a Vietnam Vet, Calls Central Valley Honor Flight ‘Life-Changing’

4 hours ago

Don’t Expect Kamala Harris’ Loss to Boost Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Prospects

4 hours ago

Questions About Sexual Orientation and Gender ID on Track to Be on US Census Bureau Survey by 2027

5 hours ago

Large Airstrikes Hit Beirut Suburbs as Israel Expands Northern Gaza Operations

5 hours ago

California Governor Calls Special Session to Protect Liberal Policies From Trump Presidency

5 hours ago

Putin Congratulates Trump on His Election Victory in His First Public Comments on the US Vote

5 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has promised sweeping action in a second administration. The former president and now president-elect often skippe...

33 mins ago

33 mins ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

46 mins ago

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

1 hour ago

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles is seen at Nashville International Airport as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP File)
2 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, at Madison Square Garden in New York, Oct. 27, 2024. President-elect Donald Trump has encouraged Kennedy to “go wild on health,” but has not made clear what role he will play. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)
2 hours ago

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

2 hours ago

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

3 hours ago

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

4 hours ago

Former Fresno State Bull Rider, a Vietnam Vet, Calls Central Valley Honor Flight ‘Life-Changing’

Search

Send this to a friend