An interview on Sunday with Donald Trump’s new campaign managers appears to imply that his desire to have all undocumented immigrants deported from the US is softening. Kellyanne Conway told State of the Union on CNN that the immigration plan of the Republican Presidential candidate remains “to be determined”.
The comments followed Trump’s meeting with Hispanic leaders on Saturday, in which Alabama Senator, Jeff Sessions said that the often controversial candidate is still committed to ending lawlessness and protecting the people of America, but that he “listened” to those at the meeting and is thinking through their comments. However, an aide rejected the notion that Trump’s plans have altered, telling the New York Post that nothing had changed.
Over the past week, Trump has tried to reach out to minority groups. During his campaign, he has angered many in the Hispanic community with his plan to construct a wall between the US and Mexico, and by describing many Mexican immigrants as rapists. During the primaries, Trump looked to the Operation Wetback program of the Eisenhower era as an example of how to have undocumented immigrants removed from the US. Trump pointed out last November that the then President had 1.5 million undocumented immigrants removed several times until they stopped coming back.
Texas immigration lawyer Jacob Monty, who attended the Saturday meeting, claims that Trump admits that it is neither humane nor possible to deport the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country.