Trump promises harsh immigration limits on eve of inauguration

Donald Trump told thousands of roaring supporters he would impose severe limits on immigration on his first day in office, vowing to swiftly fulfil the central promise of his presidential campaign at a rally on Sunday inside a packed Washington arena a day before he returns to power.

“By the time the sun sets tomorrow, the invasion of our country will have come to a halt,” he said to cheers at a “Make America great again victory rally” at the Capital One Arena.

Trump repeated his campaign pledge to launch the largest deportation effort in US history which would remove millions of immigrants. An operation of that scale, however, would likely take years and be hugely costly.

The rally resembled the freewheeling campaign speeches that have been a Trump staple since his first serious White House run in 2016, with the former and future president delivering a mix of boasts, false claims and sweeping promises to the delight of the crowd.

“This is the greatest political movement in American history, and 75 days ago we achieved the most epic political victory our country has ever seen,” he said.

“Starting tomorrow, I will act with historic speed of strength and fix every single crisis facing our country.”

The event marked his first major address in Washington since his speech on January 6  2021  that preceded the storming of the US Capitol by an angry mob of his supporters. Trump has said he will pardon many of the more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the attack.

Trump's rally, along with his inaugural address on Monday, could preview the tone he plans to adopt during his second White House term. In recent weeks, Trump has bewildered foreign allies by talking about taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into a US state.

He vowed to repeal “every radical and foolish executive order of the [President Joe] Biden administration” within hours of assuming the presidency..

A source familiar with the planning said Trump will take more than 200 executive actions on Monday.

Border security will figure prominently in Trump's first executive orders, another source said, including classifying drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organisations”, declaring an emergency at the US-Mexico border and moving towards reinstatement of the “remain in Mexico” policy that forces non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their US court dates.

Trump's deportation plans have unsettled immigrants subject to removal, including some who immigrant advocates said are law-abiding, long-term residents with US-citizen spouses and children.

Trump said he would “get radical woke ideologies the hell out of our military” and order the military to construct a missile defence shield over the US, though he has yet to offer details on how to carry it out.

He also pledged to release classified documents relating to the assassinations of president John F Kennedy in 1963 and his brother senator Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jnr, both in 1968.

The indoor hockey and basketball venue will also host some of Monday's inauguration festivities after forecasts of bitter cold prompted officials to move the planned outdoor events inside.

Earlier on Sunday Trump had breakfast with Republican  senators at Blair House, the guest quarters across from the White House. John Cornyn, Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Rick Scott and Tim Scott were among the attendees seen leaving the event.

He later placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. Trump saluted the tomb while a military bugler played Taps.

Ahead of the event, Trump's fans, many dressed in the campaign's trademark red jackets and Maga hats, waited in cold, driving rain along several downtown Washington blocks, some chanting “USA, USA”.

Val Tordjman, 58, travelled across the country from Denver with tickets to watch the inauguration. When he heard the ceremony was being moved inside, notably cutting the size of the in-person audience, he said: “I felt like crying.”

Tordjman said he planned to spend the night on the street next to the arena, despite temperatures forecast to plunge to around -7 °C. He said he had yet to see Trump in person.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said.

Large swathes of the streets around the US Capitol and White House have been blocked off by steel fences since last week, and police were visible throughout the city.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew planned to attend the rally, hours after the company announced it was restoring its service thanks to Trump's promise to delay a US ban that took effect on Sunday. Chew is also expected to join other tech executives at Trump's inauguration on Monday, including the world's richest man, Elon Musk, a close Trump confidant who made a brief appearance on stage with Trump.

Trump took credit for bringing TikTok back online and said the US would do a “joint venture” to save the app alongside bidders to buy the company.

Biden, meanwhile, made his last official trip as president on Sunday to Charleston, South Carolina, to mark Martin Luther King Jnr Day, which is also on Monday. He attended services and spoke about King's legacy at Royal Missionary Baptist Church, while urging despondent fellow Democrats not to give up hope.

Trump will take the presidential oath of office inside the rotunda of the Capitol building after cold weather prompted organisers to move the ceremony indoors. About 25,000 law enforcement personnel will provide security.

Reuters