President Trump said Tuesday that families should not be coming into the country illegally if they don’t want to face the consequences, such as being separated from each other.
“Tell people not to come to our country illegally. That’s the solution. Don’t come to our country illegally. Come like other people do, come legally,” Trump told reporters while departing for Europe to engage in North Atlantic Treaty Organization negotiations.
Trump told reporters on the White House lawn that he wants to urge people to stop attacking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and workers because “there is nobody under great danger.”
“And as far as ICE is concerned, the people that are fighting ICE, it’s a disgrace. These people go into harm’s way,” Trump continued.
ICE has been criticized for separating families at the border, but ICE has said U.S. Border Patrol officials have that task, and the administration has said current law requires families to be separated as adult illegal immigrants are prosecuted.
Trump argued that without borders, there is no country.
“Democrats want open borders and they don’t mind crime. We want no crime and we want borders,” Trump said. “Our borders mean something, right? And remember this, without borders, you do not have a country.”
