U.S. authorities arrested 538 undocumented migrants and deported hundreds more in a large-scale operation just days after President Donald Trump’s second term began, according to his press secretary on Thursday.
Karoline Leavitt, in a post on the social platform X, confirmed the arrests and said “hundreds” were deported via military aircraft.
“The largest mass deportation operation in history is in full swing. Promises made, promises kept,” she added.
Trump, who made a crackdown on illegal immigration a key part of his campaign, kicked off his second term with a series of executive actions aimed at tightening U.S. entry policies.
These measures include declaring a “national emergency” at the southern border and deploying additional troops, all while committing to deporting “criminal aliens.”
Earlier on Thursday, Newark’s Mayor Ras J. Baraka condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for reportedly raiding a local business and detaining both undocumented residents and U.S. citizens without a warrant.
This came just days after the Republican-majority U.S. Congress approved a bill to expand pretrial detention for foreign nationals accused of crimes.
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