President Donald Trump suggested Monday that the United States might consider sending Americans who don’t work to other countries. He made this statement at a White House event, explaining that foreign leaders have saved money by removing people they didn’t want.
Trump spoke during an East Room gathering with Angel Families, relatives of individuals killed by undocumented immigrants, as he signed a proclamation declaring February 22 as “Angel Family Day.”
“I would do exactly what they did if the United States would agree to take all of our criminals and people who don’t work,” Trump said, adding that other countries saved hundreds of millions of dollars by sending such individuals to the United States.
He did not name any specific country or provide evidence that governments usually transfer unemployed residents to the United States. His comments came as the administration continues to increase immigration enforcement and detention efforts, claiming that the focus is on serious offenders.
The deportation authority under federal immigration law applies to noncitizens. Removal procedures govern “aliens” who are ordered removed from the United States. The Constitution’s Citizenship Clause and Supreme Court rulings also impose strict limits on taking away U.S. citizenship. The court has ruled that a citizen cannot lose citizenship unless they choose to give it up.
Trump’s comments echoed previous remarks about sending Americans abroad in relation to crime. Legal experts have suggested these remarks conflict with long-standing constitutional protections for U.S. citizens.
Don’t wait, self deport today and spend this Valentines Day with the one you love. We will even give you $2,600 to take them out. pic.twitter.com/sR2bZHb48d
— CBP (@CBP) February 14, 2026
Monday’s ceremony honored families of victims whose deaths the administration links to shortcomings in border and immigration policy. Reports described the event as a remembrance tied to a proclamation honoring victims and survivors, set before Trump’s anticipated address to Congress this week.
The White House has used Angel Families events to reinforce its message that stricter enforcement helps deter violent crime and drug trafficking. Trump has also pushed for legislation he signed in 2025 that requires federal detention for certain undocumented immigrants arrested for specific offenses, as part of his goal to increase arrests and removals.
The administration faces growing public criticism over its enforcement tactics. Polls show that a majority of Americans believe the deportation campaign has gone too far and oppose aggressive ICE operations.
Trump did not explain how the U.S. might remove citizens based on their employment status. The White House did not provide additional details right away to clarify whether he meant his comments as a policy suggestion or a rhetorical point about immigration enforcement and public spending.
Trump’s policy of mass deportations may shrink most worker paychecks, lower GPD and spike the federal government budget deficit, according to an analysis by his alma mater Penn Wharton Budget Model.
With a lot of the workforce being deported, the professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Kent Smetters, believes the economy will naturally shrink. interview. Fewer workers inevitably will lead to a smaller economy, and current figures suggest that is the trend.
