President Trump said Thursday that identifying undocumented immigrants during traffic stops could be implemented nationwide. The comment followed Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith’s new executive order allowing officers in Washington, D.C., to alert ICE when encountering undocumented individuals during traffic stops.
“That’s a great step, if they’re doing that,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “I think that’s going to happen all over the country. We want to stop crime.”
The policy change comes as Trump temporarily controls the D.C. police department and has deployed the National Guard and FBI to assist law enforcement, despite city crime rates being at a 30-year low. Earlier this week, he suggested similar crackdowns in Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and New York City.
D.C. has historically maintained pro-immigration policies, including noncitizen voting in local elections and limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Trump did not say whether his administration pressured Smith to change course.
The Immigrant Justice Center advises undocumented immigrants to avoid discussing immigration or citizenship status during traffic stops.
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