Washington: President Donald Trump said his administration had sharply tightened US border controls, arguing that tougher enforcement had led to a dramatic fall in illegal entries and the removal of serious criminals from the country.
Speaking at a White House media availability marking one year since his return to office, Trump said border security no longer required new legislation. “Biden said you couldn’t do it,” he said. “You need legislation. I had no legislation. I said close the border.”
Trump claimed illegal crossings had dropped to historic lows. “For eight months in a row, zero illegal aliens were admitted to our country,” he said, calling the figures government data. “Nobody came in unless they came in legally.”
The president said enforcement efforts were focused on criminals rather than undocumented workers with jobs. “We’re looking to get the criminals out right now,” Trump said. He listed “murderers, drug dealers, the mentally insane” among those targeted for removal.
Trump repeatedly cited Minnesota as an example of aggressive enforcement. “We have 10,000 criminals arrested in Minnesota alone,” he said. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed the figure, saying, “10,000 criminals arrested in Minnesota alone.”
Trump praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, calling their work dangerous and essential. He said officers faced abuse while dealing with violent offenders. “These are rough people,” he said. “All ICE wants to do is get them out of our country.”
He also stressed cooperation from foreign governments in taking deportees back. “Every country accepts them,” Trump said, adding that such cooperation did not exist under the previous administration. “They don’t do that with me,” he said.
At the same time, Trump said his administration showed flexibility toward non-criminal migrants working in key sectors. He said many were employed “on farms” and in “hotels and luncheonettes,” and were not the current focus of enforcement.
Trump used the presser to criticise what he called “open border policies” under former President Joe Biden, blaming them for crime and instability. He said previous policies allowed criminals from prisons and mental institutions abroad to enter the US.
The president framed border control as central to public safety and national stability. He said illegal crossings had fallen by “99.999 percent” and described the current situation as “the strongest border in history.”
Immigration has remained one of the most polarising issues in US politics, with enforcement and asylum policy under constant legal and political challenge. Trump’s remarks signal that border security will remain a defining issue for his administration as it heads deeper into its second term.
For Indian nationals and the Indian diaspora in the US, immigration policy continues to be closely watched, particularly as enforcement priorities and visa systems remain under scrutiny amid shifting political and legal debates.
(IANS)
