The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested roughly 7,000 gang members during President Donald Trump's first year of his second term, citing the arrests as part of the administration's effort to carry out mass deportations and reduce violent crime.
DHS said the arrests targeted gang members involved in crimes including murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking, carjacking and armed assault. The agency credited Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with executing Trump's directive to prioritize public safety and remove violent offenders from the country.
"In President Trump's first year in office, ICE arrested 7,000 gang members," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "When we say we are targeting the worst of the worst, this is exactly what we mean."
McLaughlin said many of those arrested had previously been released into the United States under prior administrations and should not have been allowed to remain in the country. She added that ICE enforcement efforts have been "turbocharged" under Trump and Noem, with additional arrests expected.
DHS highlighted several recent arrests involving members of gangs such as Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Latin Kings, the Trinitarios, the Mexican Mafia, the Nortenos, the Crips, the Bloods, and the Asian Boys. According to the agency, several of those arrested had prior convictions for homicide or violent felonies, and some had been previously deported before reentering the country illegally.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration marks the one-year anniversary of the president's second term and continues to emphasize interior immigration enforcement as a central component of its public safety and immigration agenda.
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