By Ireti Asemota.
In a CBS interview released on Sunday, President Donald Trump stated that the aggressive US immigration raids that have sparked protests and allegations of rights violations have not gone far enough. Friday marked Trump’s first interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” program since the broadcaster agreed to a $16 million settlement with him. The Republican president had sued the Paramount-owned organization over a 2024 pre-election interview with his Democratic opponent, former vice president Kamala Harris.
The 79-year-old president responded, “I think they haven’t gone far enough,” when Norah O’Donnell, the interviewer, asked if the ICE raids had “gone too far.” According to the excerpt of the interview that was posted on X, he claimed that immigration procedures had been “held back” by “liberal judges” who had been appointed by Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
O’Donnell cited a number of documented instances in which ICE agents confronted suspected immigrants, used tear gas in residential areas, and smashed open car windows. “Are you okay with those strategies?” She inquired. Trump replied, “Yeah, because you have to get the people out.” Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign has been marked by his push for a massive wave of deportations since his return to the White House in January. Unrest has erupted across the nation as a result of increased ICE raids, particularly in Democratic-led cities where Trump’s administration has initiated “surges” of agents.
Local officials have filed lawsuits against Trump, claiming that he has exceeded his authority, as he has sought to deploy National Guard troops to support the agents and safeguard immigration facilities in the cities.
While similar efforts in Portland and Chicago have been temporarily halted by federal courts, his administration has sent troops to Los Angeles.
