Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is brushing aside economic concerns associated with the raids that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have carried out in recent days, as Democrats warn that the mass deportations could harm the economy.
Asked during a press conference on Monday — taking place during the House GOP’s retreat at Trump National Doral in Miami — whether he was concerned that the Trump administration’s raids would have unintended consequences on the economy, Johnson responded, “I hope not, I don’t think so.”
The Speaker referenced President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who previously said that the deportation plan is “worst first.”
“What he means by that is dangerous, violent criminals, and we know who they are, you’ve already seen them being rounded up and deported, that is the top and first priority of the federal government,” Johnson said. “The rest of it will be developed.”
“All the people that are being lined up have a very sober mind about this. They’re very clear-eyed about what is required, what the American people demand and deserve, and frankly, what they voted for in the election,” he added.
“They gave President Donald Trump a mandate to fix this problem, and no matter where I went around the country, border ranked in the top one or two issues everywhere, everywhere, blue states, red state, everywhere in between. And so they are counting on us, they’re counting on the administration and the Congress, for that matter, to back it up, to get control of this situation, and that’s what’s going to happen.”
“I think everybody can take a deep breath, let this play out,” he added.
“We are going to restore law and order at any cost, and I think we owe that to people,” he added. “It’s a very, very simple thing.”
The comments come days after the nascent Trump administration began deportations in a number of big cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Miami and Atlanta. The moves fulfill Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations.
Democrats have slammed the administration’s effort, with many warning that the deportations could have an adverse impact on the economy, especially at the local level. In December, Democrats in the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released a report that said Trump’s mass deportation proposals would threaten to harm the U.S. economy, decrease the growth and labor force and increase inflation.
The report said deporting 8.3 million immigrants in the country illegally would decrease the country’s gross domestic product by 7.4 percent and lessen employment by 7 percent by 2028.
On Saturday, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, wrote in a statement that the raids “sow fear, disrupt families, destabilize local economies, and undermine public trust.”
“The recent ICE raids occurring in cities across the nation are deeply troubling and highlight the urgent need for immigration reform that prioritizes dignity and due process,” he added. “These unwarranted raids have not only targeted hardworking individuals but, alarmingly, have also wrongfully targeted U.S. citizens and veterans.”
Johnson on Monday was also pressed on the prospect of Americans paying more for goods under the Trump administration, as the president threatens to impose tariffs on a number of countries. Johnson said he would not make predictions on the use of tariffs and the impacts they could have.
“I’m not going to predict the outcome of, first of all, which tariffs will be enacted and how it will affect prices, we’ll have to see,” Johnson said. “I think you’re seeing a measured approach by the president. Tariffs clearly is going to be a part of the policy agenda from the White House. All of that he’s said to us will be in the executive branch and not the legislative branch, so they’ll have unilateral authority over it.”
“But I think he’s gonna be wise in how he does that,” he added. “I don’t think you’ll see across the board tariffs and, you know, whole countries or whole industries. I don’t believe that’s what will happen. I think he’s gonna deal with the unfairness that we see out on the world stage.”
Johnson went on to say that the U.S. is full of “free trade advocates.”
“But as the President often reminds all of us, it has to be free and fair trade, and we simply don’t have that with some of the people, allies and adversaries around the world,” he added. “So President Trump will be the great equalizer on that and we look forward to it.”
