U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will start deporting "millions" of undocumented immigrants by next week. He also praised the Mexican government for keeping its part of the border deal.
According to The Hill, undocumented immigrants to the U.S. "will be removed as fast as they come in," Trump threatened. He further teased that Guatemala is already preparing to sign an agreement under refugee terms laid out by American immigration laws.
Analysts noted that the ICE did not announce any major operations this month, leading some people to question what the U.S. president was referring to in his tweets that also accused Democrats of not doing anything regarding the border issue.
Amid the confusion, an administration official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity confirmed that next week's ICE operations will be focused primarily on over a million illegal immigrants who received deportation orders.
The immigrants in question who will be deported are those who have remained in the U.S. despite receiving deportation orders from American federal courts.
Some critics argued that most law enforcement authorities don't announce crackdowns before they take place, questioning Trump's purpose for making the announcement through social media.
On the other hand, some experts in the Trump administration noted that the president may have decided to make the announcement beforehand was to let potential undocumented immigrants know that they will have a hard time with the ICE if they don't enter the country legally.
Political experts said immigration will continue to be a major aspect in Trump's 2020 campaign. He is scheduled to kick off his presidential campaign in Florida on Tuesday.
Earlier polls suggested that the former business mogul is losing the trust of many American voters. On the other hand, he is expected to display strength and confidence as he steps unto the Amway Center in Orlando.
Trump is kicking off his campaign in a seemingly vulnerable state. Protesters are expected to appear for his rally and Democrats may be waiting to unleash their opposition claims against the incumbent president.
A Quinnipiac University National poll suggested that Trump is well behind Joe Biden by 13 points and also behind Bernie Sanders by 11 points. Analysts said his stance against immigrants may be taking a toll on the lackluster poll numbers.
Trump's stance on immigration came in full view earlier this month when the White House threatened to impose five percent tariffs on Mexican goods. Mexico responded with commitments to enhance border security.
