The United States Immigration Service announced the arrest of four members of the Aragua Train and more than 500 undocumented immigrants
US authorities arrested 538 migrants and deported hundreds in a massive operation carried out in the first days of the president’s second term donald trumpAccording to his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
In a message published on the X platform, Leavitt cited a message from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), stating that “Trump Administration arrested 538 criminal illegal immigrants” and noted that “hundreds” were deported on military planes. “The largest massive deportation operation in history is underway. Promises made. Promises kept”, he stated.
He also assured that among those arrested were a terrorism suspect, four members of the criminal group of Venezuelan origin Tren de Aragua, and several illegals accused of sexual crimes against minors.
The operation he refers to generated controversy after the mayor of Newark, Ras J. Barakareported that ICE agents carried out raids on a local establishment, detaining not only undocumented residents, but also US citizens, without presenting a warrant.
“One of those arrested during the raid was a US military veteran. This blatant act is a clear violation of the United States Constitution“Baraka said in a statement.
According to an ICE post on the X platform, the actions of the operation resulted in 538 arrests and 373 detention orders issued. The raid was criticized by Democratic senators from New Jersey, Cory Booker and Andy Kimwho in a joint statement expressed their “deep concern” about the actions of immigration agents.
“Actions like this spread fear throughout our communities. Our Broken Immigration System Needs Solutions, Not Scare Tactics”, indicated the legislators.
Trump, who promised during his election campaign a tough policy against irregular immigration, has described this operation as part of his effort to carry out “the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States.”
According to their estimates, these measures could impact the 11 million undocumented migrants who currently live in the country.
On the same day as his inauguration, Trump signed executive orders declaring a “national emergency” on the southern border and deployed more troops to the region, promising to deport “criminal aliens.”
In addition, his administration announced the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” policy, in force during his first term, which requires people who request asylum in the United States from Mexico to remain in that country while their request is resolved. . It also suspended an asylum program aimed at people fleeing authoritarian regimes in Central and South America, leaving thousands of migrants stranded on the Mexican side of the border.
This week, the Republican-controlled US Congress passed a bill expanding preventive detention measures for foreign suspects linked to crimes.
The massive deportation operation, along with these measures and the tightening of immigration policies, has revived the debate about the rights of migrants and the impact of the Trump administration’s actions on the most vulnerable communities in the country.
This Thursday, the president of the United States also had a telephone conversation with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukelein what marked the first official call announced by the White House with a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration last Monday.
In a statement, the White House reported that both leaders discussed the possibility of collaborating to stop illegal immigration and combat transnational gangsspecifically mentioning the Aragua Traina criminal organization that has gained notoriety in Latin America. Trump also praised Bukele’s leadership, calling him an example for other countries in the Western Hemisphere.
The dialogue took place at 3:30 p.m. Washington local time and was part of Trump’s official agenda, which also included his telematic participation in the Davos Foruma private intelligence session and the signing of executive orders.
According to the statement, the two leaders expressed interest in working together to address shared challenges, such as irregular immigration to the United States and the fight against transnational criminal groups. These issues are priorities on the agenda of both leaders, who share tough stances against crime.
The conversation also highlighted the strategic relationship between both countries, given the large Salvadoran community in the United States, which exceeds two million people and whose contribution in remittances represents more than 7 billion dollars annually for the economy of El Salvador.
Relations between the United States and El Salvador have had ups and downs in recent years. During the administration of Joe Bidenthe White House harshly criticized the decision of the Salvadoran Supreme Court that opened the door for Bukele to seek re-election, an issue that generated diplomatic tensions.
Trump, for his part, has shown greater affinity with Bukele’s approach, highlighting his anti-crime strategy and his interest in cryptocurrencies, an issue that has resonated in Salvadoran politics after the adoption of the bitcoin as legal tender.
Benjamin Huffmanacting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, gave the Department of Justice’s law enforcement agencies the authority to investigate and arrest undocumented immigrants in the United States.
“The action empowers law enforcement officials at the Department of Justice to help identify and apprehend foreigners who have entered our country illegally,” the Department said in a press release announcing the measure.
Agencies include FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), US Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The measure is part of the “Trump administration’s promise to the American people to carry out mass deportations“added the text.
(With information from AFP and EFE)
