White House Shocker: All Undocumented Immigrants Branded ‘Criminals’

In the United States, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have been vocal about their belief that the Democrats, by opposing Trump’s anti-immigration policies, effectively support the freedom of violent criminals within the country.

During the administration’s initial press conference on Tuesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conceded that Trump’s aggressive stance on deporting undocumented immigrants isn’t solely focused on those who have committed violent crimes. Instead, any individual present in the U.S. without legal authorization is considered a criminal and falls under the president’s deportation initiatives.

Peter Alexander from NBC News referenced a statement Trump made during his campaign, asserting that undocumented immigrants caught in ICE raids “are going back to where they belong, starting with the criminals. Many of them are criminals.”

Alexander highlighted that out of 1,179 undocumented immigrants detained by ICE on Sunday, 566 seemingly had no criminal record except for their illegal entry into the country—a civil infraction typically punishable by a fine rather than a criminal charge.

Alexander questioned whether being a violent criminal was “no longer a requirement for deportation.” In response, Leavitt reiterated multiple times that undocumented immigrants are “illegal criminals,” equating civil violators to those who have “terrorized law-abiding American citizens.”

“This could represent a major shift of the goalposts,” commented Dan Froomkin, editor of Press Watch. “Trump initially stated that mass deportations would focus on undocumented criminals. Now, the White House is labeling all undocumented individuals as criminals.”

Josh Breisblatt, Democratic chief counsel on the Immigration Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, found Leavitt’s remarks a “useful reminder for the media and others” about Trump’s genuine stance on immigration.

“To Republicans, when they mention ‘criminal aliens,’ they are actually referring to every undocumented individual,” Breisblatt explained. “Whether they are Dreamers, [Temporary Protected Status] recipients, farm workers, or those who entered legally but overstayed their visa—this administration sees no distinction.”

Leavitt emphasized during the press briefing that all undocumented immigrants “have invaded our national borders,” and responded to a reporter’s question by stating: “If they violated our national laws, yes, they are criminals.”

On the same day ICE conducted raids in Chicago, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick pointed out that Trump’s executive orders on immigration do not instruct ICE to prioritize individuals with criminal records. Instead, they clearly designate every undocumented immigrant as a high priority.