Denver Mayor Mike Johnston says that he is prepared to go to jail over his opposition to President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan – even as he walked backed comments predicting a "Tiananmen Square moment."
Johnston had been asked last week about his opposition to the Trump plan to significantly ramp up deportations of illegal immigrants when he enters office next year. Johnston predicted police deployment and a "Tiananmen Square moment" if federal immigration officials attempted to do their job.
"More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there," Johnston said. "It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants.
"And you do not want to mess with them."
But in a subsequent interview on Friday with 9News, he walked back those comments.
"Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn't have used that image," Johnston said. "That's the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that."
But he said he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is "illegal or immoral or un-American" in the city – including the use of military force – and was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration.
"Yeah, I'm not afraid of that, and I'm also not seeking that," Johnston said. "I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems."
He expressed support for limited deportations of those convicted of "serious crimes." He also said they would be a "ready partner" if the plan was only to focus on violent criminals.
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"I think our line is clear," Johnston said. "We think if you are a violent criminal that is committing serious crimes like murder or rape in Denver, you should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and you should be deported. We support that, we have always supported that, we'll continue supporting that. We've worked with previous administrations on that; we will do it going forward."
The incoming administration’s plan to ramp up deportations has already brought opposition from Democratic officials in a number of states.
The governors of Illinois, Arizona and Massachusetts have said they won’t assist the administration in the operation. Arizona's Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said her state will not be helping in what she called a "misguided" plan.
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"What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those," Hobbs said.
But some Republican states have offered support, with Texas offering more than 1,400 acres of land to stage mass deportations near the border.
"I am 100% on board with the Trump administration's pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals," Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told Fox News Digital last week.
