RAPID CITY, S.D.–Former President Donald Trump declared that America’s illegal immigrant crisis is so dire, Congress needs to act now, rather than wait for a possible second Trump administration.
“Tonight, I’m calling on congressional Republicans to ban Joe Biden from using a single tax dollar—no taxpayer money—to release or resettle illegal aliens into the United States,” President Trump told a sold-out crowd of about 7,000 people at the South Dakota Republican Party’s rally on Sept. 8.
President Trump urged Congress to act by the next government funding deadline, Sept. 30. “The time for talk is over—now is the time for action … People are tired of talk,” the leading Republican presidential candidate said. The crowd roared its approval.
Republican lawmakers also should do more to hold Democrat President Joe Biden accountable for millions of dollars his family received from foreigners during his vice presidency, President Trump said.
Further, GOP members of Congress should block the Biden administration from reinstating COVID mandates, lockdowns, or other restrictions, he said, amid reports that new variants of the virus are spreading.
“The radical Democrats are trying hard to restart the COVID hysteria. I wouldn’t know why,” he said, sarcastically, adding: “Is there an election coming up by any chance? ” During the pandemic, voting officials changed procedures; some Republicans allege that Democrats used the pandemic as an “excuse” to enable cheating.
‘Cannot Wait Until 2025’
During a speech that spanned about 110 minutes and ended with a particularly emotional moment, the former president often cracked jokes that drew peals of laughter. But his tone turned somber when he described the immigration crisis and other troubles plaguing the nation.
President Trump has pledged to begin “the largest deportation operation in American history” if he wins his bid for reelection in November 2024. “But,” he said, “we cannot wait until 2025 to begin stopping this horrible invasion.”
By Janice Hisle
