Caroline Levitt. Photo: Profimedia
The administration of US President Donald Trump has significantly tightened the process of deporting migrants, and the vast majority of those expelled had approved orders from the previous government. This was stated by White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt during a briefing on Friday, 31 January.
According to her, 97% of deportees were under threat of expulsion during the previous administration, but were not forcibly expelled.
“But they have never been deported from the interior of our country, so this shows that the previous administration was actually violating our laws,” Levitt said.
She also noted that 83% of US residents support the deportation of migrants.
High-profile detentions
Levitt gave specific examples of arrests made by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Chicago: On 27 January, a Guatemalan national convicted of child molestation was arrested.
- Atlanta: On 28 January, a South Korean citizen convicted of distributing sexually explicit material to minors was detained.
- New York: a Mexican citizen was arrested and charged with attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons and assault.
- Philadelphia: another Mexican man convicted of child pornography possession is arrested.
“Our message is simple: if you are a criminal and an illegal alien, you will be arrested and deported,” the spokeswoman said.
The deportation policy has become one of the key themes of the Trump administration, and its further tightening could affect the political climate in the US, especially in the run-up to the election.
