Two million illegal immigrants have left the country since President Donald Trump took office, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The figure includes about 1.6 million illegal immigrants who voluntarily self-deported and more than 400,000 who were deported, according to a news release.
The Department of Homeland Security is on track to total 600,000 deportations during Trump’s first year back in office, the release said.
“The numbers don’t lie: 2 million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days — proving that President Trump’s policies and Secretary Noem’s leadership are working and making American communities safe,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Ramped-up immigration enforcement targeting the worst of the worst is removing more and more criminal illegal aliens off our streets every day and is sending a clear message to anyone else in this country illegally: Self-deport or we will arrest and deport you,” she said.
The release noted that for four months in a row, United States Customs and Border Protection “has released zero illegal aliens into the country.”
The release cited a United Nations report saying there had been a 97 percent reduction in illegal immigrants heading to the U.S. from Central America, with 49 percent of illegal immigrants who gave up hope of slipping across the border citing Trump’s policies as the reason for doing so.
The job has not been easy, as illustrated Monday when two illegal immigrants tried to break free after one tried to choke a female Border Patrol agent, according to the New York Post.
Juan Carmen Padron Mendez, 29, and Juan Carlos Padron Barron, 23, had been detained and were on their way to custody when Mendez allegedly put his hands around the female agent’s neck as she was stopped at a red light.
Mendez and Barron were soon arrested and now face charges of assault, resisting arrest, and impeding a federal officer.
“The Southern District of Texas has zero tolerance for those who assault law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said.
“Let it be known: if you lay a hand on an officer, deputy or federal agent, SDTX will do whatever it can to put you in federal prison for as long as the law will allow,” Ganjei said. “You’ve been warned.”
Political headwinds also make the job of deporting illegal immigrants more difficult.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security continued to press California, Illinois, and New York to detain criminal illegal immigrants, according to a separate news release.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons had asked the states to honor ICE detainers on criminal illegal immigrants, only to have Illinois and New York reject the notion while California could not be bothered to reply.
Illinois refused to even receive a follow-up letter saying ICE will “pursue all appropriate measures to end their inadvisable and irresponsible obstruction of the apprehension and removal of criminal illegal aliens,” the release said.
“These dangerous sanctuary policies, often combined with cashless bail for serious crimes, allow criminal illegal aliens to be released back into American communities — threatening the American people’s lives and wellbeing,” McLaughlin said.
“ICE detainers ask for something very simple: To notify ICE when criminal illegal aliens are released from jail or prison, to ensure that they go into ICE custody before they are released back onto our streets. These sanctuary state politicians should do the right thing and side with law-abiding Americans over criminal illegal aliens,” she added.
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