Deegan doubles down on controversial ‘concentration camp’ comment, Trump campaign responds

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While in London supporting the efforts of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan stepped into a different arena - national politics.

During an interview on Times Radio in the U.K., Deegan responded to comments former President Donald Trump made about his proposed immigration plans.

Last week in Colorado, Trump said, “We will send elite squads of ICE border patrol and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest, and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country.“

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During her London radio interview, Deegan said, “To put people in what would really amount to a concentration camp-type situation, to round them out of the country doesn’t seem to me to be a very American thing to do.”

Several local officials have called on the mayor to apologize for the “concentration camp” comparison.

In a statement Wednesday to Action News Jax, Deegan doubled down on her comments saying:

“When you flat out call a group of human beings animals and say they are poisoning the blood of our country, then promise to round the up in detention camps, what would lead anyone to believe they’d be treated humanely? The inevitable human rights abuses that would come are un-American and go against our country’s values.”

Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, issued the following statement on Deegan’s comments:

“This is not only unequivocally false but the same type of dangerous rhetoric that led to two assassination attempts on President Trump’s life and has divided our country. This no-name Mayor should resign in disgrace over this egregious comment. President Trump has the overwhelmingly support of Florida voters and will Make America Great Again.”

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Read: Jewish community responds to Mayor Deegan’s controversial remarks on deportation and concentration camps

Read: Jacksonville Mayor gets backlash from local leaders over immigration comments on London radio

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