Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemned President Donald Trump’s recent comments on how the Supreme Court and the Constitution affect his plans to deport illegal immigrants.
Over the weekend, Trump was asked about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant deported in March to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Democrats have raised fears that Abrego Garcia’s right to due process was violated by the deportation, with the Supreme Court ruling that the White House must “facilitate” his return to the United States. Other language in the court’s decision raised Republicans’ hopes that Abrego Garcia could still be deported.
Trump said Sunday that his team of Justice Department lawyers is continuing to evaluate the case and is considering asking the Supreme Court for further guidance on interpreting the decision.
During a Meet the Press interview with NBC host Kristen Welker, Trump replied, “I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer,” when asked whether “everyone who’s here, citizens and noncitizens, deserves due process” and whether the Constitution must be “upheld.”
Schumer blasted Trump for his remarks.
“President Trump has just admitted that he ‘doesn’t know’ whether he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Schumer said in an X post. “This is as un-American as it gets.”
Abrego Garcia lived in the U.S. for years, married a U.S. citizen, and received a government permit to work legally in the country. In recent weeks, the Department of Homeland Security has released documents detailing two instances in which Abrego Garcia’s wife appeared to be the victim of domestic abuse as she filed for petitions of protection.
During the interview, Trump expanded on due process: “It seems [the Fifth Amendment] might say that, but if you’re talking about that, then we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials. We have thousands of people that are some murderers and some drug dealers and some of the worst people on Earth, some of the worst, most dangerous people on Earth, and I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it.”
Welker pressed Trump again, “Don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?”
TRUMP UNSURE HOW CONSTITUTION AND SUPREME COURT AFFECT HIS DEPORTATION PLANS
“I don’t know,” Trump replied. “I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said. What you said is not what I heard the Supreme Court say. [Trump’s lawyers] have a different interpretation.”
When asked whether he is “defying” the country’s highest court, Trump said he relies on Attorney General Pam Bondi for guidance, calling her “very capable.”