In a recent statement, former President Donald Trump expressed his willingness to strip certain individuals of their American citizenship, specifically targeting those he described as “criminals.” This bold assertion came during a Sunday exchange with reporters, where Trump remarked that he would “absolutely” denaturalize these individuals if it were within his power to do so.

Trump pointed fingers at the current administration, suggesting that some individuals were granted citizenship under the leadership of President Joe Biden or previous administrations who, in his view, “didn’t know what they were doing.” He continued by saying, “If I have the power to do it — I’m not sure that I do, but if I do — I would denaturalize, absolutely.”

Adding fuel to his long-standing anti-immigration rhetoric, Trump took aim at the Somali community residing in the United States. He made it clear that his administration would consider implementing a prolonged pause on new asylum claims. When pressed about the duration of this potential pause, Trump responded, “No time limit, but it could be a long time.”

Justifying his stance, Trump elaborated, “We don’t want those people. Does that make sense? You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good and they shouldn’t be in our country.” His remarks echo a familiar theme from his presidency, focusing on stringent immigration policies and reinforcing his commitment to a restricted immigration approach.

“No time limit, but it could be a long time,” Trump said when asked how long he planned to enact a pause.

He added, “We don’t want those people. Does that make sense? You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good and they shouldn’t be in our country.”