The White House clarified Tuesday that all illegal immigrants arrested recently "are criminals," according to the Trump administration.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the topic during her first press briefing since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. She faced questions about the mass arrests carried out by federal immigration authorities.
A reporter asked, "The 3,500 arrests that ICE has made so far since President Trump came back into office. Can you just tell us the numbers? How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally?"
Leavitt responded firmly, "All of them, because they illegally broke our nation's laws, and therefore, they are criminals as far as this administration goes. I know the last administration didn't see it that way. So it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that's exactly what they are."
The reporter pressed further, asking if all those arrested had criminal records.
"If they broke our nation's laws, yes, they are a criminal," Leavitt reiterated.
Since Trump took office, federal immigration authorities have arrested thousands of illegal immigrants, primarily focusing on those with criminal records.
On Sunday alone, ICE detained 1,000 people and issued 554 detainers.
Border Czar Tom Homan warned that daily deportation numbers are expected to rise as the administration ramps up its operations.