The 2024 campaign season wasn't that long ago … it would seem that politicians would recall that Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportations; it may have even been the campaign issue that led to his sweeping victory. The mainstream media does its part to present us with a new deportation sob story every single day, and Democrat politicians, who clearly do not want anyone deported regardless of their rap sheet, whine that ICE said it was going after only "the worst of the worst."
On Tuesday, Politico's Rachel Shin posted that Republican Sen. Jim Justice was going soft on deportations of illegal aliens.
NEW: Jim Justice (R-WV) says ICE sweeps disrupting communities
— Rachel Shin (@rachel_shin_) September 30, 2026
“you're dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don't know that we need to be doing that”
“To get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you're doing something wrong”
The statement is a remarkable break from Trump admin
— Rachel Shin (@rachel_shin_) September 30, 2026
“in this situation, with all that’s going on and all the stuff, we probably got to step back from it and say, 'Maybe we're doing something wrong here or there,' and then adjust to that.”
read: https://t.co/rFkeGAT2u2
GOP Sen. Jim Justice urged ICE to dial back enforcement sweeps, joining the chorus of criticism of a recent crackdown that has roiled rural communities ahead of the midterms.https://t.co/CylMVQzsjf
— POLITICO (@politico) September 30, 2026
Shin reports that Justice made the comments in an interview:
Republican Sen. Jim Justice said the Trump administration should reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement Tuesday, joining the chorus of criticism of a recent crackdown that has roiled rural communities ahead of the midterms.
“Before you know it, you get people that get carried away in their job and whatever it may be, and all of a sudden, then you’re dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don’t know that we need to be doing that stuff,” the West Virginia lawmaker said in an interview Tuesday.
“To get better, the first thing you got to do is admit you’re doing something wrong,” he said. “And in this situation, with all that’s going on and all the stuff, we probably got to step back from it and say, ‘Maybe we’re doing something wrong here or there,’ and then adjust to that.”
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Either Politico is posting fake news (which is always a possibility), or Justice tried to walk back his statements in a lengthy X post on Wednesday:
Let me be crystal clear: I support President Trump’s immigration strategy, full stop. It’s not surprising that some are twisting my words to score political points, but there should be no confusion about where I stand.
— Senator Jim Justice (@JimJustice_WV) September 30, 2026
What’s been accomplished by President Trump in regards to…
… our border and immigration is truly amazing. President Biden allowed millions upon millions to illegally enter our country. Cleaning up this mess has been a tremendous accomplishment.
Our brave ICE officers are doing an incredible job protecting our communities, and they must continue to focus on criminals who are here illegally and putting Americans in danger. Violent criminals, drug traffickers, gang members and others who threaten our communities should be identified, arrested and removed.
President Trump has made securing our border and restoring law and order a top priority, and I support that effort. As a senator, I will continue working with the administration and our law enforcement officers to make West Virginia and this country safer.
West Virginians expect us to enforce the law, protect our communities, and keep dangerous criminals off our streets. That is exactly what I support.
Dangerous criminals. Laken Riley's killer wasn't a dangerous criminal until he was. He wasn't supposed to be here.
It doesn't sound like anyone is "twisting" Justice's words.
If you don't support deporting people that are here illegally, you support open borders by default. You can't maintain the border if people that cross it illegally are allowed to just stay here.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) September 30, 2026
This is the same message just cleaned up a bit to hide you believe illegals should stay if here long enough. All illegals must go, regardless of additional felonies they have or have not committed since breaking into America and extracting resources.
— Demand more from your representatives (@InbodenHQ) September 30, 2026
This is not what you said, Jim.
— Tyler Lacovara 🇺🇸 (@tylerlacovara) September 30, 2026
Everyone who came in this country is here ILLEGALLY. That is a crime. The Mountaineer State deserves competent representation.
— kelly given (@kellygiven) September 30, 2026
So, you support amnesty…. Your words yesterday were crystal clear. Own them.
— Steve Busby (@BamaSteveB) September 30, 2026
They all need to go. Not just the violent ones. Care to engage along those lines?
— bitcoin psychopath (@Blinder911) September 30, 2026
Your entitled to your opinion, of course. But R voters made our choice in 2024. All gas. No brakes.
— alabaster angel (@alabasterangel2) September 30, 2026
Anyone here illegally, needs to be deported. We don’t want them on our roads, in our schools, or in our hospitals. They knowingly broke the law. Time to go home!
— Graphite (@ABSpissMissile) September 30, 2026
Deport every single illegal of any age. All of them. Then send as many foreigners here legally out of here too. All of them.
— David (@RebelProle) September 30, 2026
Jim Justice's Greenbrier Hotel is the largest user of foreign nationals through H-3 Trainee Visa and J-1 Trainee Visas in WV. We're talking hundreds of jobs West Virginians could be doing. All legal. You don't have to "twist" Honest Jim's words to understand his self interest.
— Freebird (@BayonneJo) September 30, 2026
You're okay with illegals who cross the border illegally and then haven't yet committed another crime since.
— Populist Pup (@RokerGlasses) September 30, 2026
And because of that, you're a disgrace to the great state of WV and this nation.
You said what you said. Amnesty is NOT an option.
— Mike (@michaeljashmore) September 30, 2026
What's his cutoff for how many years you can live here illegally and we just ignore it? Is it 15 years? Ten?
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