Donald Trump says he is "shining a national spotlight" on Americans killed by immigrants living in the United States illegally and vowed to deliver justice to the families of the victims.
"What is the acceptable number of lives to be lost in the name of illegal immigration? Let me tell you what that number is: zero," Trump said Saturday at anti-illegal immigration group's conference in Houston, Texas.
Trump spoke at the Remembrance Project first annual luncheon, an organization founded to advocate for tougher immigration laws in honor of those killed by people in the country illegally.
The Republican nominee touted a strong message against crime by undocumented immigrants, painting a picture of an America with porous borders and rampant crime done by those who flow into the country illegally.
"Every day our border remains open, innocent Americans are needlessly victimized and killed. Every day sanctuary cities are left in place and innocent Americans are put in harms away. Everyday we fail to enforce our laws," Trump said.
But the reality and the numbers don't match Trump's narrative. According to the Wall Street Journal, a report from the Immigration Policy Center found that illegal immigrants are less likely than the native population to commit violent crimes or be incarcerated.
Trump told the group most "politicians ignore your cries, but I never will," vowing to "deliver justice to every American family and victim" if he wins the presidential election."
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Trump also falsely claimed that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton wants to abolish America’s borders and misrepresented her immigration policy as effective amnesty for all.
"She didn’t want to get involved,” Trump said, stating that Clinton, as secretary of state, refused to take forceful action and get countries to take back their citizens who committed crimes in the U.S. and needed to be deported. The crowd responded chants of "lock her up."
Members of the Remembrance Project have repeatedly appeared on stage with Trump at rallies across the country and he has made its cause part of his platform.
According to the group's website, The Remembrance Project brings national attention to "under-reported killings, and is 'connecting-the-dots' through its initiative, the 'Stolen Lives Quilt'– a visual memorial dedicated to slain Americans, who would otherwise still be alive and with their families, if only current laws were enforced.”
