Trump National Security Advisor Defends Deportations to El Salvador Mega-Prison: ‘Wholesale Shift On What a Terrorist Is’

Trump National Security Advisor Michael Waltz defended the administration’s deportation of alleged gang members to violent mega-prisons in El Salvador on Wednesday morning’s Fox & Friends.

“We had 9/11 to begin thinking about al-Qaeda like the terrorists that they are. Tren de Agua has been labeled a terrorist organization. They are no different than ISIS. They maim, kill, torture, create mayhem and chaos on our streets in the United States. And I think if you had some of those, you know, tattooed shaved head men were labeled ISIS then we wouldn’t even be having this debate,” Waltz said, adding:

So this is about a wholesale shift on what a terrorist is and how they should be treated in the United States, how they should be treated when they’re attacking our soil and when they’re violating our sovereignty and when they’re terrorizing our citizens.

And of course, that is going to present an article to article three in the constitution conflict but really. That’s that’s what this is and this is squarely under the commander in chief’s authority to keep Americans safe. And I’m telling you that’s how most Americans see it.

Trump’s deportations were temporarily paused by a federal judge who requested additional information about who exactly was deported and by what process. Critics have raised concern that while the administration claims those deported fall under a “terrorist” label, proof of individual associations has not been made public, and those imprisoned in El Salvador no longer have legal recourse.

MSNBC’s Chris Jansing did a segment on Waltz’s comments a few hours later in the day.

“There’s a messaging effort here. I mean, it included, right, when they got all of the Venezuelan deportees, they put out all that video, they showed them getting their head shaved, they showed them bent over, handcuffed, they were restrained at the ankles. Talk about the audience for all of this and the message that they’re trying to send?” Jansing asked The New York Times’s Jeremy Peters.

“Right, well, these scenes were very reminiscent of what happened in 2001 at Guantanamo Bay, right? You know, the shackled prisoners, this, you know, putting them into very primitive facilities. And no doubt that is the message that this administration wants to convey. You ask about, you know, who those images are for, those images are not just a political effort for Trump’s base, kind of red meat, if you will. Those are meant to be seen by people who would potentially cross the border, make the journey up from Central America, as a warning. Don’t come here. You will be sent back. Obviously, it’s a pretty harsh, jarring warning, but that is the policy purpose here,” replied Peters, adding:

There is a real tension here with a question about what constitutes national security. And the administration has taken a very, very broad interpretation of what they see, what they are justifying with saying, oh, this is related to national security, this is related to the foreign policy interests of the country.

Now, the president does have broad authority there, but Congress also has authority. And they’ve passed laws like the Patriot Act that have very specifically spelled out what the president can and cannot do with regard to terrorism. So, you know, it’s going to be a fight, you know, Mike Waltz is exactly right. There’s going to be a fight about whether or not Congress needs to change the law in order for Trump to do some of what he’s doing with these deportations, not just of migrants, but of more political targets, like the student we have who is now sitting in a detention facility in Louisiana awaiting deportation.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.