Senator Rand Paul blasted Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Sunday, arguing that his stated plan to resist mass deportations under the incoming Trump administration could lead to his removal from office and potential legal consequences.
During an appearance on Face the Nation, Paul responded to Johnston’s vow to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans, which include using military assets and deputizing the National Guard as immigration agents. Johnston has pledged to use local law enforcement and a reported 50,000 residents to “keep out” federal agents, referring to the standoff as a potential “Tiananmen Square moment.”
Paul described Johnston’s plan as a “form of insurrection.”
“If [Johnston] is going to resist federal law, which there’s a longstanding history of the supremacy of federal law, it will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” Paul said. “I would suspect that he would be removed from office… and face legal ramifications.”
Paul emphasized the importance of deporting violent criminals, including those responsible for murder and sexual assault, but argued that such actions should be carried out through domestic policing, not military intervention.
“We’ve had a distrust of putting the army into our streets,” Paul noted, emphasizing the importance of adherence to the Fourth Amendment and legal processes requiring warrants and judicial oversight.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
How about leading to his removal from the United States of America to Gaza on a 1 way ticket, with his American passport being canceled as soon as he arrives in Gaza so that he can never leave Gaza.
This is a bit confused. This mayor has the right to say whatever he likes, but if he acts on his words he would immediately be arrested.
It wouldn’t go anywhere near the Supreme Court; the first court that saw him would convict him and the appeals court would affirm and that would be it.
As for removing him, I don’t believe any federal authority, up to and including the US Supreme Court, can remove a city mayor from office. But if he’s in a federal prison he can’t function as mayor.
Finally, there is no proposal to use troops to round people up; the army’s role will be in supporting the operation, providing and staffing detention camps, perhaps handling transportation, etc. All actual arrests will be handled by ICE.
Remember, cities are under no obligation to assist federal law enforcement, but obstructing it is a federal crime. So is harboring an illegal alien. Anyone who does those things to protest the deportations will be arrested and convicted.