'Deportation Bus Tour' launched in Georgia to pick up illegal immigrants from sanctuary cities
A "Deportation Bus Tour" was launched by a Republican candidate in Georgia's gubernatorial race on Tuesday, which reportedly is set to tour all sanctuary states in the United States to pick up illegal immigrants, according to reports.
Through the tour, Michael Williams, a state senator, wants to “expose how dangerous illegal aliens ruin local economies, cost American jobs, increase healthcare costs, and lower education standards,” his campaign said in a press release.
In a commercial for the controversial tour, Williams said that his deportation plan will "fill this bus with illegals to send them back to where they came from."
Williams said: "We’re not just going to track them and watch them roam around our state. We’re going to put them on this bus and send ‘em home."
Who is Michael Williams?
Senator Michael Williams was a former co-chair of President Donald Trump's campaign in Georgia and is a staunch supporter of the 287(g) immigration program.
The particular program reportedly allows state and local law-enforcement agencies work closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to hand over illegal immigrants who were arrested for crimes not associated with immigration.
Williams is reportedly one of seven Republican candidates running to replace Gov Nathan Deal (R), who is approaching the end of his second term.
According to a recent University of Georgia poll, only about 3 percent of the voters in the region have said that they support Williams.
The senator describes himself as "anti-political correctness, anti-liberal, anti-establishment, and pro-Georgia."
"We’re going to implement my 287(g) deportation plan that is going fill this bus with illegals to send them back to where they came from," said Williams. “We’re not just going to track them and watch them roam around our state, we’re going to put them on this bus and send them home.”
Williams’ campaign, in a press release, said that the senator is "the most outspoken anti-illegal candidate in Georgia's history."
The senator reportedly urged the viewers of his bus tour commercial to sign up for emails from deportationbus.com to receive the upcoming dates for the tour during the video.
The back of the "deportation bus" reportedly reads: "Danger! Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, child molesters and other criminals on board." Right below this sign is written "Follow me to Mexico".
Williams, while referring to the bus, said: "If you’re as tired as I am with politicians that do nothing but talk, and you want to see this bus filled with illegals, vote Michael Williams on May 22nd."
Williams' commercial video for the deportation bus tour, however, was taken down by YouTube which cited that the video violated its policy on hate speech.
Sanctuary cities generally limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration law.
The sanctuary cities and states in the United States, the ones which have not been cooperating with federal immigration authorities like California, have been at the center of the national debate on immigration in the country.
President Trump, earlier this year, called on Congress to block funding for sanctuary cities in the country. The Justice Department also announced that it has filed a lawsuit against California over its sanctuary laws.