Trump temporarily delays deportation plan amid fears among migrants in the U.S. illegally

President Trump’s warning Monday night that he would start deporting “millions” of migrants was suddenly put on hold Saturday, according to a tweet he sent this afternoon. Trump tweeted Monday night that ICE agents “will begin deporting the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States … as fast as they come in.” He suggested that the raids would start next week and called on congressional Democrats to address the “border crisis.” His tweet came ahead of his reelection campaign kickoff in Florida, and some immigration analysts say that it severely overstated the number of likely deportees and the ability of immigration agents to remove them. But LAPD Chief Michel Moore said that the anticipated raids don’t “have anything to do with the Los Angeles Police Department.” His department would play no role in the operation, he said, echoing a decades-old LAPD policy of not detaining or questioning anyone over their immigration or citizenship status. “I want Californians to know they have legal rights and protections, regardless of their immigration status.” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said that his city rejected “this administration’s politics of fear and exclusion, which is tearing our families apart.” “It’s important for all members of our San Jose community — regardless of immigration status — to know they have rights and that our San Jose Police Department will not participate in any ICE investigation or enforcement activity,” Liccardo said. He encouraged residents to “inform themselves about their rights and remain vigilant for ICE agents entering a home or business without consent or a valid warrant.” He also asked residents to report the location of any ICE activity, and to get a description of any ICE vehicle, badge numbers, photos or other information related to any such activity, and share it with the city’s Rapid Response Network “so that we can gather the information, and where appropriate, take legal action.” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued a statement declaring that “unconfirmed reports” that his city would be targeted “have created a great deal of anxiety for some and it proves once again this country needs comprehensive immigration reform.” “Houston depends on the ingenuity, the sweat and the rich cultural contributions of its immigrants,” the statement continued.