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US AUTHORITIES HAVE arrested 538 migrants and deported hundreds in a mass operation just days into President Donald Trump’s second administration, according to his press secretary.
“The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals,” Karoline Leavitt said in a post on social media, adding “hundreds” were deported by military aircraft.
“The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway. Promises made. Promises kept,” she said.
Trump promised a crackdown on illegal immigration during the election campaign and began his second term with a flurry of executive actions aimed at overhauling entry to the United States.
Yesterday, Newark city mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “raided a local establishment… detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant”.
The mayor said one of those detained during the raid was a US military veteran.
“This egregious act is in plain violation” of the US Constitution, he said.
An ICE post on social media said: “Enforcement update … 538 arrests, 373 detainers lodged.”
New Jersey Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim said they were “deeply concerned” about the Newark raid by immigration agents.
“Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics,” they said in a joint statement.
Trump has vowed to carry out “the largest deportation operation in American history,” impacting an estimated 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States.
On his first day in office, he signed orders declaring a “national emergency” at the southern border and announced the deployment of more troops to the area while vowing to deport “criminal aliens.”
His administration said it would also reinstate a “Remain in Mexico” policy that prevailed during Trump’s first presidency, under which people who apply to enter the United States from Mexico must remain there until their application has been decided.
The White House has also halted an asylum programme for people fleeing authoritarian regimes in Central and South America, leaving thousands of people stranded on the Mexican side of the border.
Earlier in the week, the Republican-led US Congress green-lit a bill to expand pretrial incarceration for foreign criminal suspects.
Trump frequently invoked dark imagery about how illegal migration was “poisoning the blood” of the nation, words that were seized upon by opponents as reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
All the “Hamas” bots seem to be missing when it comes to denouncing Islamists when it comes to kidnapping of Women and Children. Double standards from the left and Islamic ideologies.
Hope international attention leads to the children and women being found. Thanks Journal for highlighting it.
@Oliver Cleary: I don’t think you’ll find anyone that supports such actions.
Nice try at deflection, though.
No, care to condemn Israel’s crimes against humanity?
Crimes it has been committing since it first stole the homeland of the Palestinian.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: I’ll engage when you use your real name. Stop hiding behind a pseudonym. You do not merit honest discussion because you are in essence dishonest
@Oliver Cleary: What you mean you find yourself unable to condemn Israel’s crimes against humanity.
Why does any pseudonym prevent you from doing that?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: “since it first stole the homeland of the Palestinian” showed your cards there, you obviously have zero understanding of the conflict
@Etcher: @Etcher: What do I not understand?
If people claiming to be descendants of Irish who left these shores long ago illegally moved back here, established terrorist groups, attacked us, drove us out of our homes, off our lands and out of our towns and villages, attacked and overthew our government and established their own state here, then what would be different about what the colonial Israeli settler has done to the Palestinian?
And what do you think we would do about it?
And wouldn’t we be right?
Now would you like to tell us your understanding?
It is not cool enough to be seen to be concerned about what happens in Nigeria.
@Sun Rise: Since when? It’s a scandal that they can’t protect their schoolchildren. Similar happened in Italy years ago, it was rife. All for money mostly.
@Sun Rise: What a dump of a country
@Etcher: There aren’t that many books available here that give an insight into life in Nigeria, or West Africa even.
But an author that does have a few books on the shelves is Oyinkan Braithwaite, and her novel My Sister, the Serial Killer is worth the read.
But this is based in a city (Lagos perhaps, I can’t remember), and does not touch on rural Nigerian life, much less the life of those in the northern parts that are subject to much of this terrorism.
You have to admire these brave Jihadists on their dangerous military operations. One of the school children might throw their schoolbag at them, causing scratches!
@Brian Hunt: As brave as the Israelis, would you say?
Horrendous for these children & their families. Hope they are reunited soon & not abused or trafficked, like the 14 year who went missing from Tulsa
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