President Donald Trump previewed an end to the practice of “catch and release” at the border on Wednesday.
During the flight to Washington, DC, from California, the president and Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan announced to reporters they would be able to end the practice of releasing illegals and migrants caught at the southern border into the United States.
Despite Trump’s promise to strictly enforce the border, the Department of Homeland Security continues to release nearly 130 illegal aliens and border-crossers a day.
But the president and the CBP commissioner promised to move forward on ending the practice entirely.
“We’re confident that in a couple of weeks we’re going to be able to end Catch and Release at the southwest border,” Morgan said.
Trump said he was able to end the practice without legislation passed by Congress.
“There will be no more ‘Catch and Release,'” he said. “Nobody coming into the country… And that’s without the Democrats.”
Morgan explained the recent Supreme Court ruling on the immigration IFR (interim final rule) for aliens claiming asylum allowed them to enact it across the board.
“I think everybody understands the new IFR that’s going to be coming out now because the Supreme Court decision we’re going to be able to utilize that across the southwest border, as well as MPP, the migrant protection protocol,” he said.
The president announced the change at the border shortly after showing off the newly constructed border wall on the southern border near San Diego.
“I hope you like the wall, by the way,” he told reporters during the conversation on Air Force One. “Do you like the wall? … That is a serious wall.”