President-elect Trump says he aims to deport American citizens with family in the U.S. illegally

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- President-elect Donald Trump said in an exclusive interview with NBC News he will deport everyone who is in the U.S. illegally, including possibly removing from the county American citizen family members of those deported.

Reports also say Trump would work with Democrats to "do something about" undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Trump mentioned he would also ensure Dreamers would be able to remain in the country.

Those who arrived in the country years ago as children and are covered under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) will be allowed to remain in the country and continue to work legally.

"We have to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, and many of these are middle-aged people now, they don’t even speak the language of their country. I will work with the Democrats on a plan," Trump said.

“They were brought into this country many years ago, some of them are no longer young people, and in many cases, they've become successful. They have great jobs. In some cases, they have small businesses. Some cases they might have large businesses, and we’re going to have to do something with them," Trump added

President-elect Trump was also asked about the families in the U.S. who have mixed immigration status, who have American citizens legally in the country but family members who are also living here illegally.

“I don’t want to be breaking up families,” Trump said. “So the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.”

This means people and families with legal status in the U.S. will have the option to decide if they stay in the country or go with their family members with an illegal status in the country.

“It depends on the family,” Trump said, adding later: “If they come here illegally but their family is here legally, then the family has a choice. The person that came in illegally can go out, or they can all go out together.”

ABC-7 has reached out to several immigration legal services providers along with local migrant advocacy organizations to learn the impacts these deportations could have in El Paso.