army judge
Super Moderator
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, with her promise to enforce a federal law requiring immigrants in the United States illegally to register with the government, has stressed that there will be strong penalties for those breaking the law, former deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on Newsmax Sunday.
"One thing that they're doing here is they're imposing a new consequence if illegals are here and are caught, who should have registered and didn't," Cuccinelli told Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
He added that the law will be strengthened the more that it is used, and "if folks are breaking more than one law, as most of them have already done by coming in here illegally," they can face criminal consequences.
"They can go to prison for this before being deported," he said. "That's really the stick that the secretary is wielding here, and I think it will have some effect. I think it's an open question how much, but it doesn't cost her much in terms of manpower or resources to open up this new option and to create additional consequences."
Cuccinelli added that when the Trump administration gets its regulatory efforts moving, "you're going to see an asylum clampdown on these folks," most of whom won't qualify for asylum.
"I mean, in the Western Hemisphere, what governments are to be actually feared?" he said. "This isn't the Central America of the 1980s, probably Venezuela and Cuba, maybe Nicaragua, but that's really it. No one from anywhere else in this hemisphere really should have any sort of legitimate shot at getting asylum, and they know it."
Instead, Noem, by encouraging people to cooperate and leave the United States, is pointing out that they can have the incentive of being able to return legally.
"The president has just now taken birthright citizenship off the table," he said. "Then children who are born here, you know, five years ago, are U.S. citizens, whether we like that or not. But their parents aren't. So, you know, parents in that situation may really take seriously the ability to reenter the country legally by departing."
Meanwhile, the deportation numbers are good under Trump, but "they need to ramp this up," said Cuccinelli.
"I mean, 20,000 a month actually does not achieve the president's goals," he said. "That's 240,000 a year. That actually isn't very much, even by historical standards. The president I know is looking at much bigger numbers."
The administration, meanwhile, still has a great deal of work to build the assets needed for the deportation efforts, said Cuccinelli.
"One thing that they're doing here is they're imposing a new consequence if illegals are here and are caught, who should have registered and didn't," Cuccinelli told Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
He added that the law will be strengthened the more that it is used, and "if folks are breaking more than one law, as most of them have already done by coming in here illegally," they can face criminal consequences.
"They can go to prison for this before being deported," he said. "That's really the stick that the secretary is wielding here, and I think it will have some effect. I think it's an open question how much, but it doesn't cost her much in terms of manpower or resources to open up this new option and to create additional consequences."
Cuccinelli added that when the Trump administration gets its regulatory efforts moving, "you're going to see an asylum clampdown on these folks," most of whom won't qualify for asylum.
"I mean, in the Western Hemisphere, what governments are to be actually feared?" he said. "This isn't the Central America of the 1980s, probably Venezuela and Cuba, maybe Nicaragua, but that's really it. No one from anywhere else in this hemisphere really should have any sort of legitimate shot at getting asylum, and they know it."
Instead, Noem, by encouraging people to cooperate and leave the United States, is pointing out that they can have the incentive of being able to return legally.
"The president has just now taken birthright citizenship off the table," he said. "Then children who are born here, you know, five years ago, are U.S. citizens, whether we like that or not. But their parents aren't. So, you know, parents in that situation may really take seriously the ability to reenter the country legally by departing."
Meanwhile, the deportation numbers are good under Trump, but "they need to ramp this up," said Cuccinelli.
"I mean, 20,000 a month actually does not achieve the president's goals," he said. "That's 240,000 a year. That actually isn't very much, even by historical standards. The president I know is looking at much bigger numbers."
The administration, meanwhile, still has a great deal of work to build the assets needed for the deportation efforts, said Cuccinelli.
