Washington, Feb 11 (IANS) The White House defended its immigration enforcement record, rejecting criticism that most arrests under President Donald Trump involve nonviolent offenders.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration remains focused on removing criminals from the country.

“The Trump administration has been clear from day one that any illegal alien present in this country is subject to deportation,” she said. “However, the priority, of course, is going after the convicted criminals, the worst of the worst, the murderers, the pedophiles, the rapists in this country.”

Leavitt was responding to reports citing data that only a small percentage of those arrested are violent criminals.

She said the numbers were being taken “out of context.”

“Nearly 60 per cent of ICE arrestees over the past year had criminal charges or convictions,” Leavitt said.

She added that “approximately 70 per cent of illegal aliens arrested under President Trump have pending criminal charges and/or prior convictions.”

Leavitt said many of the crimes classified as nonviolent are still serious.

“These so-called nonviolent crimes, drug trafficking, distribution of child porn, burglary, fraud, DUI, embezzlement, solicitation of a minor and human smuggling, just to name a few,” she said.

“So, just because a crime is not violent in nature, doesn't mean that crime is victimless,” she added.

Leavitt said critics who highlight the statistics would not want such offenders in their communities.

“I can guarantee every single person who is out there on television right now pointing to these statistics that were taken out of context by CBS news, would not want an illegal alien convicted of the distribution of child porn or fraud or DUI living in your community,” she said.

She said the administration will continue its approach.

“So, the Trump administration will continue our focus on deporting all illegal aliens present in our country with a focus on the worst of the worst criminals,” Leavitt said.

During the briefing, Leavitt also cited a federal appeals court decision upholding the administration’s policy of detaining migrants who enter the country illegally.

“A federal appeals court today … just upheld the Trump administration's policy of detaining illegal aliens, validating the strong measures that have driven illegal crossings to historic lows,” she said.

She added that for “an unprecedented ninth straight month, there were zero illegal border crossings at the southern border.”

Immigration enforcement has remained a central pillar of Trump’s policy agenda since his first campaign in 2016. The administration has argued that strict detention and deportation policies deter illegal crossings and improve public safety.

Critics, including many Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups, have questioned enforcement priorities and raised concerns about due process and the impact on families and communities.

--IANS

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