A Valentine’s Day message from the White House warns of deportation for illegal entry.
The White House delivered a strong anti-illegal immigration message on Valentine’s Day, distributing a pink card featuring President Trump and his newly appointed border czar, Tom Homan.
Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, ICE agents have conducted daily raids across the US. An estimated 11 to 35 million undocumented immigrants are believed to reside in the US. President Trump’s campaign promise included initiating the largest deportation operation in US history.
The card, shared on the White House’s official X account, read: “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally, and we’ll deport you,” accompanied by “Happy Valentine’s Day” and a heart emoji.
The border enforcement efforts have yielded notable results, with daily illegal crossings along the southern border plummeting to an average of 359 – a decrease exceeding 90% compared to February of the previous year, according to the New York Post.
Immigration officers made roughly 11,000 at-large arrests during the operation’s first 18 days, representing one-third of ICE’s total arrests during the prior year under President Biden. At least 5,693 individuals had been deported by February 3rd, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
To manage the increased number of detainees, the Trump administration has expanded the use of alternative detention facilities, including transferring some detainees to Guantanamo Bay.
The Trump administration’s initiative has faced opposition from various Democratic-led states and local governments. Several sanctuary states, including California, New York, and Illinois, along with over 200 cities and counties, have refused to cooperate with federal immigration efforts, arguing that a significant portion of those arrested lacked prior criminal convictions or pending charges.
The White House maintains that individuals who entered the country illegally violated US law and are therefore criminals. Tom Homan, the newly appointed border czar, recently stated on Fox News that he is dissatisfied with the pace of deportations. He attributed the slow progress to sanctuary city policies, which he claims hinder the administration’s focus on detaining individuals posing a threat to public safety, and warned of further collateral arrests if these policies continue.