By Jessica Chasmar - The Washington Times - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

President Trump tweeted thanks Wednesday morning to Democratic New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind for his “gracious remarks” regarding the deportation of suspected Nazi prison guard Jakiw Palij.

“Thank you to Democrat Assemblyman Dov Hikind of New York for your very gracious remarks on @foxandfriends for our deporting a longtime resident Nazi back to Germany!” the president wrote. “Others worked on this for decades.”

Mr. Hikind appeared on “Fox & Friends” earlier Wednesday saying he had lobbied for Mr. Palij’s deportation for more than a decade and thanking Mr. Trump for “getting things done” on the issue.

“I say to my fellow Democrats, stop this nonsense. Stop making everything into a political thing,” Mr. Hikind said. “When the president does something huge, like getting rid of the last Nazi from Queens, New York, say ’thank you, Mr. President, for doing an amazing thing.’ God bless the president.”

At the order of Mr. Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Monday removed 95-year-old Mr. Palij by wheelchair from his Queens, New York, home. He is accused of serving as a Nazi prison guard during WWII and then lying to American immigration officials about his Nazi affiliation in order to gain entry to the U.S. after the war.

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The White House said Tuesday that the president prioritized the removal of Mr. Palij to “protect the promise of freedom for Holocaust survivors and their families.”

“Palij’s removal sends a strong message: The United States will not tolerate those who facilitated Nazi crimes and other human rights violations, and they will not find a safe haven on American soil,” the administration said in a statement.

• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.

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