Seven Mexican nationals living in the U.S. illegally were being held after a violent smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in a Texas Mall that plays into President Donald Trump's charge that many of those coming across the border were criminals.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection was still trying to find out how and when the seven men got into the country, Fox News reported.
Reports of shooting – actually the sounds of jewelry cases being crashed in – drew a swift and heavy police response on Saturday to the La Plaza Mall in McAllen, a main shopping area in the Rio Grande Valley.
The seven suspects were arraigned in court Monday afternoon. Each was charged with aggravated robbery and five were additionally charged with giving police false identities, KRGV reported.
News of the suspects' nationalities sparked a divisive back-and-forth on social media.
Some Twitter users questioned why the news media seemed preoccupied with the fact the seven suspects were Mexicans in the U.S. illegally.
Others cited their illegal status to criticize current immigration laws and reinforce their support for President Donald Trump's stringent measures against illegal immigrants.
On Monday, Trump took to Twitter to reiterate that illegal immigration was a top National Security problem.
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