Trump applauded for ‘significant’ immigration action after Biden’s ‘inexcusable inaction’

During his first week in office, President Donald Trump launched an immigration crackdown with a number of border security measures. The efforts are one of many campaign promises Trump has worked to keep since assuming office Monday. 

One Republican lawmaker applauded Trump for his immigration efforts, calling out former President Joe Biden for leaving the border “wide open” for years. 

“Donald Trump has shown that he’s willing to deliver on campaign promises. Promises the American people have been relying on him to deliver and promises that really are long overdue,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on “Kudlow” Thursday. 

TRUMP BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN REVEALS ICE TEAMS ARE ALREADY ARRESTING ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’

“This also shows just how inexcusable the Biden administration’s inaction was. They claimed over and over again, we can’t do it for this reason, that reason or any other reason. This was a willful subversion of America’s border security, an intentional weakening of our national security.”

Upon taking office, Trump signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military and ending the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole.

His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the nation.

The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants.

BORDER ENCOUNTERS DROP SHARPLY AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

“Biden created so many problems with his open borders, problems that have resulted in death, destruction, suffering and theft, among other problems for the American people. So President Trump’s right to start where he started,” Lee said when asked about the deportation operations.

“Our hope and expectation is that in some cases, some of these folks will have enough presence of mind to realize it might make sense for them to leave on their own. For those that don’t, they will find out the hard way.”

Trump’s administration has also moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases.

Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants — a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states. A federal judge in Seattle Thursday temporarily blocked the president’s birthright citizenship order, describing the action as “blatantly unconstitutional.”

“Now that Donald Trump is having to go back almost to the drawing board, as it were. Start from square one and he’s already making significant progress. I applaud him for that,” Lee said.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.