President Donald Trump promised to pardon U.S. immigration officials if they were caught breaking the law by blocking immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, from entering the country, a former top Department of Homeland Security official says. Federal law clearly says certain people, like refugees, must be allowed entry into the country.
“It was April of 2019,” former Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor says, as The Washington Post reports. “We were down at the border, and the president said to the senior leadership of the Homeland Security Department behind the scenes we should not let anyone else into the United States.”
“Even though he’d been told on repeated occasions that the way he wanted to do it was illegal, his response was to say, ‘Do it. If you get in trouble, I’ll pardon you.'”
Trump told officials to tell those wishing to come to the U.S., “the bins are full.”
Tayler makes his remarks in a new ad recorded for Republican Voters Against Trump.
“The president offered to pardon U.S. government officials for breaking the law to implement his immigration policy,” Taylor charges.
Taylor is the first administration official to confirm that Trump did offer the pardons in April of 2019. President Trump himself denied doing so last year:
And yet, here is Trump on national television telling immigrants to turn around and not come to America because, he lied, we are “full.”
“This is our new statement- the system is full. We can’t take you anymore,” Trump said, speaking to refugees and other immigrants in need. “Whether it’s asylum or anything you want – illegal immigration – we can’t take you anymore. Our country is full. Our area is full. The sector is full. Can’t take you anymore, I’m sorry. Turn around.”