A former Republican strategist slammed what he described as a "fascist PR stunt" in Louisiana by President Donald Trump's administration on Sunday.
On Friday, Trump's Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino, who leads Customs and Border Patrol, toured the streets of Kenner, Louisiana, according to a report by NOLA.com. Bovino's visit elicited a "mixed reaction from the public," the report added, with Bovino taking time to participate in photo ops and confront protesters.
Tim Miller, host of "The Bulwark Podcast," said in a new episode of "Bulwark Takes" on Sunday night that he attended a protest of Bovino's visit in Kenner. He said Bovino's attendance at the raids showed the effort "is a lot more about PR...than it is about getting rid of criminals like Donald Trump has planned."
"There's no evidence that people are going to be safer," Miller said. What these guys are doing is they are putting on a fascist PR stunt and they're doing it here because the governor of the state is going to allow them to, because [he] is also a little man with Napoleon syndrome who wants to seem like a tough guy just like Bovino."
Immigration raids like the one Bovino attended have become common during Trump's second administration. Trump has promised to deport criminals who are in the country illegally, but several reports indicate that many of the people impacted by the raids have no criminal records. Reports also show that American citizens have been caught up in the raids.
Miller, who was a spokesperson for Jeb Bush's 2016 campaign, has frequently criticized Trump's deportation policies.
"There are real people that are going to suffer here because of it," Miller added.