Denver mayor says he’s prepared to go to jail over opposition to Trump deportations of illegal immigrants

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says that helium is prepared to spell to jailhouse implicit his absorption to President-elect Trump’s wide deportation program – adjacent arsenic helium walked backed comments predicting a "Tiananmen Square moment."

Johnston had been asked past week astir his absorption to the Trump program to importantly ramp up deportations of amerciable immigrants erstwhile helium enters bureau adjacent year. Johnston predicted constabulary deployment and a "Tiananmen Square moment" if federal migration officials attempted to bash their job.

"More than america having DPD stationed astatine the region enactment to support them out, you would person 50,000 Denverites there," Johnston said. "It’s similar the Tiananmen Square infinitesimal with the roseate and the gun, right? You’d person each 1 of those Highland moms who came retired for the migrants.

DENVER MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON SAYS TRUMP'S MASS MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS WILL CREATE ‘TIANANMEN SQUARE MOMENT’

President-elect Trump and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (Getty Images)

"And you bash not privation to messiness with them."

But successful a consequent interrogation connected Friday with 9News, helium walked backmost those comments.

"Would I person taken it backmost if I could? Yes, I astir apt wouldn't person utilized that image," Johnston said. "That's the representation I anticipation we tin avoid. What I was trying to accidental is this is an result I anticipation we tin debar successful this country. I deliberation nary of america privation that."

But helium said helium was prepared to protestation against thing helium believes is "illegal oregon immoral oregon un-American" successful the metropolis – including the usage of subject unit – and was past asked if helium was prepared to spell to jailhouse for lasting successful the mode of policies enacted by the administration.

"Yeah, I'm not acrophobic of that, and I'm besides not seeking that," Johnston said. "I deliberation the extremity is we privation to beryllium capable to negociate with tenable radical however to lick hard problems."

He expressed enactment for constricted deportations of those convicted of "serious crimes." He besides said they would beryllium a "ready partner" if the program was lone to absorption connected convulsive criminals.

TRUMP'S ICE NOMINEE DECISION COULD BE IMMINENT AS DEPORTATION PLAN TAKES SPOTLIGHT 

ICE agents behaviour an enforcement cognition connected June 2, 2022. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

"I deliberation our enactment is clear," Johnston said. "We deliberation if you are a convulsive transgression that is committing superior crimes similar execution oregon rape successful Denver, you should beryllium prosecuted to the afloat grade of the instrumentality and you should beryllium deported. We enactment that, we person ever supported that, we'll proceed supporting that. We've worked with erstwhile administrations connected that; we volition bash it going forward."

The incoming administration’s program to ramp up deportations has already brought absorption from Democratic officials successful a fig of states.

The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts person said they won’t assistance the medication successful the operation. Arizona's Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her authorities volition not beryllium helping successful what she called a "misguided" plan.

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"What I volition unequivocally accidental is that, arsenic governor, I volition not tolerate efforts that are portion of misguided policies that harm our communities, that endanger our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona volition not instrumentality portion successful those," Hobbs said.

But some Republican states person offered support, with Texas offering much than 1,400 acres of onshore to signifier wide deportations adjacent the border.

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 "I americium 100% connected committee with the Trump administration's pledge to get these criminals retired of our country, and we are much than blessed to connection our resources to facilitate those deportations of these convulsive criminals," Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told Fox News Digital past week.