US authorities has arrested 538 undocumented migrants and deported hundreds more in a large-scale operation, just five days into President Donald Trump’s second administration.
This move is part of Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration during his election campaign.
According to Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, “The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals.” She added that “hundreds” were deported by military aircraft, stating, “The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway. Promises made. Promises kept.”
Trump has signed executive orders declaring a “national emergency” at the southern border and announced the deployment of more troops to the area. He has also vowed to deport “criminal aliens” as part of his efforts to overhaul the US entry system.
The operation has raised concerns, with Newark city mayor Ras J. Baraka stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “raided a local establishment… detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant.”
This development follows the Republican-led US Congress passing a bill to expand pretrial incarceration for foreign criminal suspects.
AFP
