Crackdown on illegal immigrants across US: 500,000 arrested

The administration of US President Donald Trump has launched a large-scale crackdown on illegal immigrants across the country, arresting around half a million undocumented individuals since January this year.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than 480,000 illegal immigrants have been detained since January. Of them, nearly 70 percent have been charged with criminal offences or convicted of crimes.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem disclosed the figures at a press conference in Florida on Monday, October 20. “We are taking steps nationwide to make our communities safer and to give families the opportunity to thrive,” she said.

Meanwhile, President Trump hailed the operation as a “record-breaking move” by his administration. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “Under my administration, the FBI and security agencies are doing an outstanding job in maintaining law and order. We are restoring law and order in the United States.”