Trump says he’s unsure whether due process rights apply to people in the US

President Donald Trump cast uncertainty on whether US citizens and noncitizens are entitled to due process rights as outlined in the Constitution as his administration pushes aggressively to deport immigrants who are in the country illegally and other non-citizens.

Asked by NBC’s Kristen Welker, Trump hesitated to affirm that people in the US have these rights which guarantee fair legal treatment and a chance to contest adverse actions. “I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” Trump said, adding that such a requirement would mean “we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials.”

Trump’s remarks, particularly regarding immigrants and noncitizens, have drawn attention as his administration continues to push for the removal of people it deems to be illegal residents, including those accused of being gang members. He also cited ongoing legal challenges that have blocked some of his deportation plans, such as a Supreme Court ruling that temporarily barred the deportation of Venezuelan migrants linked to criminal gangs.

Trump added that his lawyers “are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.”

On April 19 the Supreme Court justices temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members. Trump’s administration, which has invoked a rarely used wartime law, has urged the justices to lift or narrow their order.

US Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in a filing to the Supreme Court that detainees are receiving advance notice of their removals and have had “adequate time” to file claims for judicial review.

The justices also directed Trump’s administration on April 10 to facilitate the return to the United States of a Salvadoran man who the government has acknowledged was deported in error to El Salvador.

That man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, remains in a detention center in El Salvador. A federal judge presiding over the case has ordered Trump’s administration to provide additional information on what steps it has taken to secure Abrego Garcia’s return.

Separately, Trump said during the NBC interview that he was pursuing a third presidential term despite earlier suggestions. While occasionally hinting at the possibility, he clarified that running for a third term is not something he is actively seeking. Referring to the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms, he acknowledged, “To the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do that.”

With inputs from agencies