Mass deportations will continue to target violent criminals, while those willing to comply and seek legal entry could see benefits, according to the president.
The federal government will facilitate and pay for the self-deportation of those who have entered the country illegally, while operations will continue to target gang members and violent criminals, President Donald Trump told Fox Noticias host Rachel Campos-Duffy in an interview filmed at the White House that aired on April 15.
The president said that stipends, including plane tickets and money, could help incentivize illegal immigrants to leave and pursue legal status.
“We’re going to make it comfortable for people, and we’re going to work with those people to come back into our country legally,” Trump said during the interview. “And then … if they’re good, if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can.”
He did not provide further details about how much money illegal immigrants could receive or how to apply for such benefits.
The president also announced a plan to work with some industries, including hospitality and agriculture, to help business owners mitigate the effect of mass deportations.
“We’re making it so that if a farmer can give recommendations to people, we’re going to be very soothing,” he said.
“They’re sort of responsible, and we’re going to have the farmer take responsibility. But you know, ultimately, at some point, we want the people to go out, come back as legal.”
Broadcast to a Hispanic audience, the interview was conducted in English and released with Spanish subtitles. Trump successfully courted the Hispanic vote during his 2024 campaign, according to exit polling that showed him garnering a record share for a Republican Party candidate.
While the United States is offering paths to citizenship for many in the workforce, the president said aggressive deportation operations will continue for violent criminals.
“Right now, we’re getting the murderers out,” Trump said. “We have our total aim on the very bad ones, as you can imagine. These are rough, bad people. We want them out, and that’s mostly our focus.”
