White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed reporters Monday, trumpeting President Donald Trump’s latest move to deport over 200 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua—labeled a foreign terrorist organization—under the Alien Enemies Act.
The Department of Homeland Security’s counter-terrorism sweep, she said, shipped the “heinous monsters” to El Salvador, delivering on Trump’s campaign vow to avenge victims like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, brutally murdered by illegal immigrants.
“President Trump signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to tackle the invasion by Tren de Aragua,” Leavitt declared, crediting the Department of State’s coordination with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
READ: VIDEO: Gangsters Grounded: 200+ Deported Tren de Aragua Suspects Arrive At El Salvador’s Mega-Prison
“These are some of the most ruthless terrorists in the world—rapists, murderers, kidnappers. Over 200 were extracted this weekend, saving countless American lives.” She tied the action to Trump’s January 20 inaugural pledge to wield the 1798 law against border threats, calling it his “highest responsibility.”
Leavitt seized on a weekend New York Times report to hammer home Trump’s border success. “Illegal crossings are at their lowest in decades—shelters empty, migrants heading home. That’s the Trump effect in action,” she said, quoting the paper’s stark contrast to the “chaos and upheaval” of years past. “We didn’t need a border security bill—just President Trump.”
New NBC News polling bolstered her upbeat tone, showing more voters feel the U.S. is on the right track. But when pressed on due process concerns, Leavitt doubled down.
“The president’s using every lever of his constitutional authority within immigration laws to make streets safer,” she fired back. “DHS and ICE know who these terrorists are—they’re not guessing. Talk to the angel families of Laken and Jocelyn—they get the cost of inaction.”
READ: ICE Conducts Large-Scale Worksite Enforcement Operation In Louisiana, Arresting 11 Illegal Aliens
The briefing turned testy over a looming court challenge. A CNN reporter cited a judge’s verbal order Saturday to halt deportation flights—issued around 6:45 PM, before a 7:26 PM written ruling—questioning compliance.
Leavitt pounced, “All planes left before the written order hit. We acted within the law, and we’re confident we’ll win in court.” She waved off debate over verbal orders’ weight, leaving it to “our lawyers.”
On El Salvador’s role, Leavitt revealed a $6 million deal to detain the deportees—“pennies” compared to U.S. prison costs—thanking Bukele’s cooperation.
Asked about options for terrorists, she stuck to the script: “Trump designated Tren de Aragua terrorists under 8 U.S.C. 1189—nobody’s arguing they’re not monsters.”
A quirky aside—a French MEP’s call to reclaim the Statue of Liberty—drew a tart quip: “Absolutely not. Tell that low-level politician it’s thanks to America the French aren’t speaking German.”
READ: New Jersey ICE: Turkish National With Murder Warrant Apprehended In New York
Leavitt also teased Trump’s Tuesday call with Vladimir Putin, aiming for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal.
“We’re on the 10-yard line—closer than ever,” she said, dodging specifics. From deportations to diplomacy, she cast Trump’s 57-day-old administration as a mandate in motion, brushing off critics with data and defiance.
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