Colorado [US], October 12 : Former US President Donald Trump called for the death penalty for migrants who kill US citizens or members of law enforcement, during his rally in the city of Aurora in Colorado, escalating the anti-immigration rhetoric that has fueled his presidential run.
"I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer," Trump said to loud cheers from a large crowd of supporters.
"Now America is known all throughout the world as occupied America," he told the rally, citing a supposed "invasion" of migrants.
Trump also said that if elected he would launch a national "Operation Aurora" to target the illegal migrants.
During his election rally, Trump laid out a stark vision for his first days in office, if re-elected, with policy proposals hinged on mass deportation.
"To everyone here in Colorado and all across our nation, I make this pledge and vow to you: November 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America," he said, with a reference to election day, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump has repeatedly sought to demonise migrants in the run-up to the vote, pointing to an increase in southern border crossings under the administration of President Joe Biden.
Trump continues to spread false allegations about migrants. In his speech, he promised to "rescue" Aurora and other cities from an "invasion" of migrants. However, the Aurora Police Department statistics have shown that major crimes in the city have dropped since last year.
"We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States," Trump said. "We will close the border. We will stop the invasion of illegals into our country. We will defend our territory. We will not be conquered."
The Republican candidate also invoked racist and xenophobic stereotypes, including that migrants were likely to carry illness. "They're very sick, very sick. They're coming into our country. They're very, very sick with highly contagious disease, and they're let into our country to infect our country," Trump said.
"I'm announcing today that, upon taking office, we will have an Operation Aurora at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs," Trump said.
Part of the plan, he explained, was to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, an antiquated law that allows the federal government to round up and deport foreigners belonging to a country with which America is at war, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump then added he would seek harsh penalties for migrants involved in crimes."I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer," he said.
This rhetoric is not new as last month during an election rally, Trump had accused and amplified claims that Haitian migrants in the American city of Springfield were killing and eating pets. Local and state authorities repeatedly said there was no evidence to support the claims and called on Trump to stop spreading falsehoods.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has noticeably hardened his anti-immigration rhetoric in the final weeks of the Nov 5 election campaign, where he aims to defeat Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Illegal immigration is a top voter concern, and Trump is seen by most voters as the person best able to address it, opinion polls show.
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