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Unknown Host
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Jim McDonnell
LAPD will protect our immigrant community. LAPD officers will not take action to determine a person's immigration status and will not arrest someone for their status. And LAPD will not assist with mass deportations. Los Angeles is a city of immigrants. And I know immigrants are being disparaged right now, but I want the people of Los Angeles to know my viewpoint. Our nation was built by immigrants in la. And la, such an extraordinary city because of the people here from literally all over the world.
Unknown Host
That right there was Jim McDonnell. He has now been voted to be the next LAPD Chief, previously served as the Los Angeles County Sheriff. And you heard him there saying as he was voted to become the next LAPD chief, quote, I want to be clear to all people of L. A, especially our immigrant community, which is feeling uncertainty and fear. This is a city of immigrants and min. My job is to serve you. Now, this comes as that the same day that Donald Trump appointed Tom Homan, one of the authors of Project 2025, to be his border czar. Tom Homan previously gloated and bragged about bloody mass deportations that he and Stephen Miller were going to lead. And Tom Homan is known for someone who is as extreme as you can be in supporting mass deportations, denaturalization, and we did a video on that earlier today. Let me show you, though, from the press conference of Los Angeles Police Department's new chief, Jim McDonald, what he said during his press conference after being voted on to be the next LAPD chief about mass deportations and what he sees the role of LAPD in carrying it out, or as he says, he will not follow orders to carry out mass deportations. Here's what LAPD Chief Jim McDonald says. Play this clip hearing impassioned voices from.
Jim McDonnell
The undocumented community who said they're very.
Unknown Host
Fearful of the Trump administration and by extension, your new regime.
Jim McDonnell
What can you say to them to.
Unknown Host
Calm those nerves and real fear?
Jim McDonnell
Yeah. Thank you, Laura. That's a. That's a great question. And certainly I did hear the passion in there, as well as other people I had spoken with. There's a lot of Talk across the country on what's going to happen, what's not going to happen. But what I can say is here that, you know, any talk of mass roundups or the police department being involved in that thing, we don't do that kind of thing. We would alienate much of our population, much of our community by doing anything like that. So it would make no sense for us to do that. We have no interest or desire to do any of those kind of things. We're here to keep everybody safe in all communities throughout our city. And the way we do that is by nurturing trust, building on the relationships we have and making them better. But try and ensure that people understand that when they call the lapd, there is no additional risk. As far as your immigration status, it's all about us getting out there, providing service to you and doing the best manner that we can possibly.
Unknown Host
Then a little bit later in the press conference, the LAPD chief, Jim McDonnell, you know, also, you know, is discussing the mass deportations. In my own view, I think he's being very naive here, I think intentionally so, because I'm about to show you the clips of what Tom Homan is saying and what Donald Trump is going to do. But I just want to show you that at least you have here a police department chief in a city made up of immigrants saying that he would not carry out any orders to do the mass deportation. Here, play this clip.
Jim McDonnell
Do you anticipate pressure from ICE to cooperate with them? You were around back in 2016, and I think there was pressure back then, or at least there were requests, right? There were requests. And I think that was a different day, that the relationships that we have with dhs, overall, ICE included, they know what their expectations of us are and us of them. They know what our. Our tools are, how we operate in the city of Los Angeles, as many other urban areas around the country do. So I don't think there'll be pressure as you might expect there to be. There may be some from the administration, but you know, what I've heard are withholding federal grant money or so forth for cities that may not cooperate in that fashion. But we've got our rules, we've got our values. We're going to move forward the way that we've done, you know, for many, many years now, trying to develop and build on that trust that we have with all of our communities.
Unknown Host
Now, of course, we, we talked about this earlier in the day as well, when Tom Homan was appointed as Trump's border czar, which we said going back months was going to happen. He's someone who authored Project 2025's bloody mass deportation section and denaturalization section. Let me be clear. When I talk about denaturalization, that should mean, just to be clear with you, I'll tell you what it means. If you believe you are a citizen because you are a child of immigrants and you were born in the United States, they don't believe you're a citizen. You will be deported as well and your kids will get deported as well. That's what denaturalization means. Just to be clear. So if you said, oh, not me, I've got my papers, nope, you're one of the first to go mass deportation now was the slogan at the Republican National Convention. And just so you again hear who this border czar is and the types of things that he said. Here he is on Fox talking about the deportation program. Play this clip.
Tom Homan
This is historic.
Unknown Host
And they can't tell you how many.
Jim McDonnell
Hamas and Hezbollah or Islamic Jihads are.
Unknown Host
Also coming across our border.
Jim McDonnell
Wait till things start blowing up.
Unknown Host
Tom, if Trump wins and goes back to the White House, would you go back?
Tom Homan
I promised President Trump when he announced that he goes back, I go back and I'm going to run the biggest deportation operation this country's ever seen because these millions of people being released in this country, 9 out of 10 will get an order removal. Immigration court data, a judge orders them removed. We're going to find them and we're going to remove them. There's no consequence. We can't fix the border. We're going to have, we're going to have a consequence in the Trump administration.
Unknown Host
Homan goes back with Trump. That's another campaign ad. Tom, thanks so much for joining us. Have a great weekend. So I just want to add really quickly that man that you see on the screen who was just talking to Brian Kilmeade. Tom Homan is the person who came up with the family separation policy under the Trump administration. Stephen Miller was a cheerleader for that policy, but Tom Homan is the man who came up with it. The Biden administration has added some safeguards to prevent something like that from happening again. But a vote for Trump is a vote for Tom Homan. He just said it. So as you may have known, I just became a dad. So it's important for me to protect my family's future and just give myself peace of mind when it comes to life insurance. It's why I use policygenius. Policygenius makes finding and buying life Insurance simple. You may even hear my baby girl in the background right there. That's Ximena. With policygenius, you can find life insurance policies that start at just $292 per year for $1 million of coverage. Some options are 100% online and let you avoid unnecessary medical exams. I'm doing it for Ximena, and I know you're doing it for the loved ones in your life as well. You can compare quotes from America's top insurers side by side for free, with absolutely no hidden fees. They've got an incredible licensed support team that helped walk me through what I needed fast so I could understand everything that's out there. And look, life insurance is a form of financial planning, and policygenius is the country's leading online insurance marketplace. It's something that I trust and I know it's something you can trust as well. So do it for all of the Jimenez out there in your life. Secure your families tomorrow so you have the peace of mind today. Head to policygenius.com midus or click the link in the description to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you can save. That's policygenius.com Midus policygenius.com Midas I'm doing it for all of them. Now. Tom Homan was also in charge of the family separation policy, where children and family members were ripped apart from their families under the first Trump administration. And one of the things that Tom Homan had said, and this is a direct quote, that he's going to make shit much crazier this time around. If you believe that was bad, he said, you're not going to. I can't wait to show you the shit we're going to do this time around. A direct quote from Tom Homan. Here he was when AOC asked her questions. Play this clip through this memo.
Tom Homan
You're not the author, but you signed the memo. Yes, A zero. A zero tolerance memo. So you provided the official recommendation to Secretary Nielsen on families for the United States to pursue family separation. I gave Secretary Nielsen numerous recommendations on how to secure the border and save lives. But it says here that you. You gave her numerous options, but the recommendation was option three, family separation. What I'm saying, this is not the only paper where we given the secretary numerous options to secure the border and save lives. And so the recommendation of the many that you recommended, you recommended family separation. I recommended zero tolerance, which includes family separation. The same as is with every US Citizen. Parent gets arrested when they're with A child. Zero tolerance was interpreted as the policy that separated children from their. If I get arrested for DUI and I have a young child in a car, I will be separated. When I was a police officer in New York and I arrested a father for domestic violence, I separated that. Mr. Homan, with all due respect, legal asylees are not charged with any crime. When you're in the country illegally is Violation 8, United States Code 1325, seeking asylum is legal. If you want to seek asylum and go through a port of entry, do it the legal way. The Attorney General of the United States has made that clear.
Unknown Host
Okay, now I show you the video first of Jim McDonald, the sheriff, I rather used to be LA County Sheriff, now the police chief for the city of Los Angeles, you know, and he's saying, well, we're not going to carry out the orders. Well, I guess that's helpful to indicate. But let's be clear. What Donald Trump said he was going to do is that he was going to send the National Guard and the United States military to carry out the operation. He also said he would rely on local police, but by and large it was going to turn the military by invoking the 1789 Alien Enemies act where he believes that, he quotes that there's an invasion taking place and it's not just people who are criminals. Look, we all agree no one wants criminals to be here. People who are here unlawfully, who are criminals or terrorists, everybody agrees they should be deported. They are being deported. And by the the way, just so you have the stats under Biden right now, there's actually in the last year less border crossings than when Trump was in office. So I know we don't live in a fact based world anymore, but that's actually the facts right here. It's also a fact that Donald Trump and the magazines were the ones who killed a bipartisan border deal when President Biden was in office, when Democrats wanted to try to help solve the problem. Because let's be clear what they want. Mass bloody deportations. What does that mean? The military knocking at your door, whether you committed crimes or not, whether you believe to be a citizen or not, and deporting you, dragging you, separating families, that's what they're going to do. We have to prepare for it and we have to be ready to show you where it's all happening. And also what we see happening here is you're going to, I mean you're seeing with LAPD Chief McDonald, so what's going to happen? You're going to have LAPD versus United States military. You have, I mean, look, there's, there's, I think families are going to just go voluntarily. All right, take me. Or you think that there's going to be massive kind of conflict that's probably going to take place and already you see the confusion taking place. Just to remind you, Stephen Miller at his speech in Madison Square Garden saying America is for Americans only, the same way Hitler said German is for Germans only. Play this clip. The cartels are gone. The criminal migrants are gone. The gangs are gone. America is for Americans and Americans only. One man. And that man, ladies and gentlemen, that man took a bullet for you. He took a bullet for democracy. And when Stephen Miller says stuff like that, it's like, dude, what are you even talking about? Like America is a melting pot. Stephen Miller, you are the grandson or great grandson of immigrants, as am I, as are most Americans, as is Donald Trump. Melania is an immigrant. Donald Trump's son is an anchor baby. And let's be very, let's be very clear as well, we need for our economy, immigrants are contributing to our economy greatly. I know this may be like a controversial things to say. It shouldn't. We should address the fact that immigrants are doing jobs that Americans are not doing. And but for immigrants, guess what's going to happen? Inflation, which is now under control is going to go back up because who's going to be doing the work? Who's going to be doing the work that the immigrants are doing, whether it's in construction, whether it's in the fields, whether it's service related industries, whether it's at the restaurants, who's doing those jobs right now? And immigrants are contributing to our society. And I agree, you know, criminals, terrorists. Yeah, this not controversial. Of course, deport them. That's not what they are saying. Right here, I'll show you this as well. This is, this right here is Steve Bannon also telling you what he's going to do. Mass deportations. He said if you didn't want mass deportations, don't vote for Trump. If you want mass deportations, remember the word is mass. Mass, everybody and their kids, whether criminal or not. Here, play this clip.
Jim McDonnell
This is why we talk so much.
Unknown Host
About like Project 2025 that you know, this is where the work gets done. And these radicals have gamed the system.
Jim McDonnell
So that we get 10 million illegal alien invaders.
Unknown Host
And no, they're not newcomers. Newcomers would imply that they're going to stick around. They're not sticking around. They're going to get mass deportations. Are going to start. If you don't like that, then don't vote for President Trump. So that's what we're kind of dealing with right now. We'll follow this every step of the way. I'm glad that Police Chief Jim McDonald's out there on the day that he was sworn in making those comments, but already we're seeing, on the same day, McDonnell Homan. You know, it's going to create a bunch of chaos, you know, at best, confusion, but more likely a lot of chaos. And are people going to follow these orders to rip little babies away from their family and rip mothers away from their kids and rip fathers away? That's the America, not the America that I know. That's why every step of the way, we're going to be with you on the front lines fighting back every step of the way. Hit subscribe let's get to 4 million subscribers. Love this video. Make sure you stay up to date on the latest breaking news and all things Midas by signing up to the Midas touch newsletter@midastouch.com newsletter.
Podcast Information:
In this episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, the Meiselas brothers delve into the recent appointment of Jim McDonnell as the new Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The central theme revolves around Chief McDonnell’s firm stance against former President Donald Trump’s deportation orders, highlighting the tensions between local law enforcement and federal immigration policies. The discussion is enriched with compelling quotes, expert insights, and critical analysis of the broader implications for immigrant communities in Los Angeles.
Jim McDonnell, recently elected as the LAPD Chief, made a powerful statement affirming his dedication to protecting Los Angeles’s immigrant population. At the onset of his press conference, McDonnell declared:
"LAPD officers will not take action to determine a person's immigration status and will not arrest someone for their status. And LAPD will not assist with mass deportations. Los Angeles is a city of immigrants."
[00:26]
This declaration underscores McDonnell's commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all residents, irrespective of their immigration status.
McDonnell further addressed the fears prevalent within immigrant communities, emphasizing the LAPD’s role in building trust rather than exacerbating tensions:
"We're here to keep everybody safe in all communities throughout our city. And the way we do that is by nurturing trust, building on the relationships we have and making them better."
[02:38]
He assured residents that reporting crimes to the LAPD would not jeopardize their immigration status, reinforcing the department’s protective stance.
The hosts, Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas, contrast McDonnell's statements with the federal stance represented by Tom Homan, appointed by Donald Trump as the border czar. They highlight Homan’s aggressive policies, which starkly oppose McDonnell’s approach:
"Tom Homan is someone who is as extreme as you can be in supporting mass deportations, denaturalization..."
[03:37]
The discussion shifts to Project 2025, a controversial federal initiative aimed at increasing deportations. The hosts express concerns about the feasibility and ethical implications of mass deportations, especially under the leadership of figures like Homan.
Tom Homan, in his role as Trump's border czar, vocalized his unwavering commitment to executing large-scale deportations, regardless of individuals' criminal backgrounds or citizenship claims:
"I'm going to run the biggest deportation operation this country's ever seen because these millions of people being released in this country, 9 out of 10 will get an order removal. Immigration court data, a judge orders them removed. We're going to find them and we're going to remove them."
[06:26]
Homan also defended the infamous family separation policy, asserting its necessity for border security:
"Zero tolerance was interpreted as the policy that separated children from their... If I get arrested for DUI and I have a young child in a car, I will be separated."
[09:34]
This controversial stance has been widely criticized for its humanitarian implications and the trauma it inflicts on affected families.
The hosts vehemently oppose the notion of mass deportations, arguing that such policies are not only inhumane but also economically detrimental:
"Immigrants are contributing to our economy greatly... Who's doing the work that the immigrants are doing...?"
[11:45]
They point out the essential roles immigrants play in various industries, emphasizing that their removal would lead to significant economic disruptions and increased inflation.
The podcast also tackles false narratives propagated by figures like Stephen Miller and Jim McDonnell, clarifying misconceptions about American identity and the contributions of immigrants:
"America is a melting pot... immigrants are contributing to our economy greatly."
[14:50]
The hosts argue that labeling America as "for Americans only" is contradictory to its foundational values as a nation built by immigrants.
The episode concludes with a strong call to action, urging listeners to stay informed and actively oppose policies that threaten immigrant communities. The hosts reaffirm their commitment to fighting against discriminatory practices and supporting democracy through informed discourse and activism.
"Every step of the way, we're going to be with you on the front lines fighting back..."
[15:23]
They encourage listeners to subscribe, stay updated with breaking news, and join the MeidasMighty community in promoting democratic values and social justice.
Jim McDonnell:
"LAPD officers will not take action to determine a person's immigration status and will not assist with mass deportations."
[00:26]
Jim McDonnell:
"We're here to keep everybody safe in all communities throughout our city... ensuring that when they call the LAPD, there is no additional risk as far as your immigration status."
[02:38]
Tom Homan:
"I'm going to run the biggest deportation operation this country's ever seen..."
[06:26]
Tom Homan:
"Zero tolerance was interpreted as the policy that separated children..."
[09:34]
Host:
"Immigrants are contributing to our economy greatly... Who's doing the work that the immigrants are doing...?"
[11:45]
Host:
"America is a melting pot... immigrants are contributing to our economy greatly."
[14:50]
Host:
"Every step of the way, we're going to be with you on the front lines fighting back..."
[15:23]
This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast provides an in-depth analysis of the conflicting approaches to immigration enforcement between local law enforcement in Los Angeles and federal policies under the Trump administration. Through critical discussions, the Meiselas brothers highlight the importance of protecting immigrant communities and the potential consequences of aggressive deportation strategies.