Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘Better For My Children’: Illegal Migrant Tells CNN He Supports Trump ‘For The Economy’ Despite Deportation Risk

'Better For My Children': Illegal Immigrant Tells CNN He Supports Trump 'For The Economy' Despite Deportation Risk

An illegal immigrant named Gelasio Velasquez told CNN correspondent Rosa Flores on Thursday that he supports President-elect Donald Trump for economic reasons, despite the risk of deportation.

Trump’s plans to secure the U.S. southern border include the mass deportations of millions of illegal immigrants who entered under the Biden-Harris administration. Velasquez, on “CNN News Central,” told Flores that he believes a Trump presidency would benefit his young children, who are U.S. citizens.

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“I support Donald Trump for the economy,” Velasquez told Flores, with the correspondent later confirming and asking for his opinion about “anti-immigrant rhetoric.”

“I’m not support of the anti-immigrant action,” he answered. He also said he doesn’t support mass deportations, saying “it’s not human.”

However, Velasquez asserted he is “not afraid” of getting deported.

“Democrats forget their promises when these guys are in the office in the Washington,” he told Flores. “The Latinos want a better nation.”

Velasquez also told Flores that he would not regret backing Trump even if he were to get deported.

“So you’re really not thinking about yourself, you’re thinking about your children and the future of your children,” the CNN correspondent noted.

“Yes. I want a better for my children,” Velasquez affirmed.

The illegal immigrant stated he would “respect that decision” if deported, telling Flores he would go to Mexico with his family and “not come back” to the U.S.

Trump announced in a Sunday Truth Social post that his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Tom Homan will serve as “border czar” in his second administration. He wrote that “Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.” 

The president-elect has pledged to conduct the “largest deportation program in American history” and introduce a plan to terminate birthright citizenship for those born on U.S. soil by illegal migrant parents.

About 40% of Hispanic voters recorded the economy as their main priority, while roughly 70% of them described the current state of the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” according to an exit poll by Edison Research.