‘Somebody Should Pass a Law’: Fmr Obama Homeland Chief Jeh Johnson Floats Executive Orders ‘Ban’ Over Trump Deportation Vow
Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Sunday commented that someone should “make a law” against incoming presidents issuing executive orders “on day one” while discussing and condemning Donald Trump repeatedly vowing to issue such orders on immigration and deportations.
Johnson appeared on the latest Meet the Press on Sunday and, as part of a panel discussion, told moderator Kristen Welker that Trump’s plans for mass deportations are unrealistic and unlikely to happen.
But in preface to that commentary, Johnson remarked that someone ought to make a law preventing such “Day One” decrees. Although other panelists reacted as if it was a joking comment, Johnson followed-on by offering prior examples of why it would be a good move, including one of his own as part of President Barack Obama’s transition team.
“First of all, somebody should pass a law banning executive orders on Day One,” he said. “Because the reality is, executive orders drafted by transition teams without the input of the affected agency before the Cabinet secretary is even confirmed are not great ideas.”
The Trump team is currently unable to gain that necessary info do to their failure to sign agreements necessary for the needed access, Politico reported over the weekend.
Johnson followed-up on his suggestion by citing the first Trump administration’s infamous travel ban, as well as his own involvement with Obama’s promise to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (GITMO) back in 2008.
The former Homeland secretary then explained why he finds Trump’s stated deportation goals unrealistic, and added that he doesn’t really think they’ll happen anyway.
“I’d rather see ERO go after the criminals versus somebody who’s been in this country 12 years, committed no crimes, has children who are U.S. citizens,” he said. “And that’s the reality of enforcement and that’s – I’m sure that will be the reality of enforcement even under a President Trump.”
WELKER: Immigration is really the centerpiece, and he has this mass deportation plan. He’s going to sign some executive actions, but he’s also going to then begin to roll out this plan. I interviewed him a couple of weeks ago after he was elected. I said, “Do you have an actual plan? How much is it going to cost?” He said, “There’s no price tag.”
You, obviously, again, have intimate knowledge with what happens at the border. How complicated would it be to actually roll out this type of plan?
JOHNSON: So, first of all, somebody should pass a law banning executive orders on Day One, because the reality is executive orders drafted by transition teams without the input of the affected agency before the Cabinet secretary is even confirmed are not great ideas.
The travel ban, for example, eight years ago. Let’s go back to that. I’ll even point fingers at myself. I was involved in the transition 16 years ago and Guantanamo Bay is still open.
So, to this idea of mass deportation, that would be the equivalent if you tried to deport everyone in this country who is undocumented, of the population of two New York Cities, which could not happen in my lifetime.
An administration, whether it’s Trump or Biden or Obama, has to have enforcement priorities. Start with the criminals, start with the national security threats, recent border crossers. Tom Homan knows that. I know he knows that because he used to work for me.
And I’d rather see ERO go after the criminals versus somebody who’s been in this country 12 years, committed no crimes, has children who are U.S. citizens. And that’s the reality of enforcement and that’s – I’m sure that will be the reality of enforcement even under a President Trump.
Watch the clip above via NBC News.
