United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his administration’s strict immigration policies during his State of the Union address, drawing loud protests from Democratic lawmakers.
“The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Trump told members of the U.S. Congress.
The Republican president sharply criticised Democrats for opposing his immigration agenda, telling them, “You should be ashamed of yourself for not standing up,” prompting heckling from across the aisle.
Trump’s intensified enforcement campaign, carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has sparked large-scale protests in several cities.
Demonstrations have been particularly strong in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where two U.S. citizens were killed during unrest in January.
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota shouted “You’re killing Americans and You have killed Americans” during the address in response to Trump’s remarks.
The president also urged Democrats to back a Republican-backed bill aimed at overhauling the electoral system.
The proposed legislation would require individuals to provide proof of US citizenship when registering to vote.
Unlike some other countries, the U.S. does not have uniform nationwide voter identification rules, with election procedures largely determined at the state level.
