White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with a reporter Monday. The argument centered on how the Trump administration identifies members of foreign gangs.
The ACLU published a document called “The Alien Enemies Validation Guide.” They believe it’s being used to flag members of Tren de Agua, a violent Venezuelan gang.
Reporter Andrew Feinberg said tattoos and clothing were enough to classify someone. “You can get classified by simply having certain symbols in your tattoos and wearing certain streetwear brands,” he said. “That alone is enough to get someone classified as TdA and get them sent to El Salvador.”
Leavitt pushed back hard. “No, according to the Department of Homeland Security and the agents, have you talked to the agents who have been putting their lives on the line to detain these foreign terrorists who have been terrorizing our communities?” she shot back.
She continued, “TdA is a vicious gang who have taken the lives of American women. And our agents on the frontlines take deporting these people with the upmost seriousness.”
“There is a litany of criteria that they use to make sure that these individuals qualify as foreign terrorists and to ensure that they qualify for deportation,” Leavitt said. “Shame on you and shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover for these individuals.”
According to the document, someone must reach 8 points to be labeled a Tren de Agua member. Points come from things like court records, confessions, or wearing clothes and symbols tied to the gang.
Tattoos are a major marker. Officials identified stars, trains, and phrases like “Real Hasta la Muerte” and “Hijos de Dios” as signs of TdA affiliation.
Feinberg later posted about the exchange. He said TdA members should be deported—but not just for having tattoos. “Obviously TdA is bad and if someone is a TdA member and deportable they should be deported,” he wrote. “But one would hope our government … can do more to figure out who’s who [than] go entirely off wardrobe and body art.”
The Trump administration used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport more than 200 TdA members. The deportations happened without immigration court hearings. A federal judge later blocked them mid-flight, sparking a legal fight.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that 17 violent criminals were transferred to El Salvador. The group included members of Tren de Agua and MS-13. Authorities also arrested a top MS-13 leader Thursday in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Trump officially labeled Tren de Agua, MS-13, and drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The executive order was signed on January 20.