Hundreds of illegal migrants have returned to Mexico after being deported from the United States amid President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Footage shows how dozens of deportees are being escorted across the international border bridge after being deported under Title 8, a law that allows authorities to immediately expel those who crossed into the US without authorization.
The illegal aliens, many of whom are handcuffed, are returned to Mexico by armed US border patrol agents and immigration officers.
Mexico has accepted more than 4,000 migrants, of which a ‘large majority’ were Mexican, from America in first week of Trump’s presidency.
Illegal crossings at the southern border were the lowest in years on Sunday, with sources telling Fox News that less than 600 people illegally crossed the border from Mexico on January 26.
Trump took office last week and declared a ‘national emergency’ at the southern border. He has signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued a slew of edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and border security.
The Pentagon also began deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border last week to help with immigration efforts.
Hundreds of deportees are being escorted across the Hidalgo International border Bridge after being deported under Title 8, a law that allows authorities to immediately expel those who crossed into the US without authorization
The illegal aliens, many of whom are handcuffed, are returned to Mexico by armed US border patrol agents and immigration officers
Mexico has accepted more than 4,000 migrants, of which a ‘large majority’ were Mexican, from America in first week of Trump’s presidency
A member of the Mexican National Guard stands guard Monday as employees work to build a temporary shelter to prepare for mass deportations from the US, in Reynosa, Mexico
Since Trump took office a week ago, thousands of migrants have been sent back to Central and South America.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it made an average of 710 immigration arrests daily from Thursday through Monday – up from a daily average of 311 in a 12-month period through September under President Joe Biden.
If that rate holds, it would surpass ICE’s previous high mark set in the Obama administration, when daily arrests averaged 636 in 2013.
Numbers spiked starting Sunday and included highly publicized operations, including in Atlanta, Dallas and, most prominently, Chicago.
The number of crossings at the southern border have also fallen sharply, Fox News reported, with the daily encounters having reached only 582 on Sunday.
None of the nine border sectors received more than 200 crossings on Sunday, a drastic drop when compared to the between 1,200 to 1,400 crossings recorded per day during the final days of Biden’s presidency.
Sources also highlighted how the Del Rio sector – which was sustaining 4,000 crossings per day during the height of the border crisis in December 2023 – only recorded 60 crossings on Sunday.
ICE’s daily arrests – which averaged 311 in the year ending Sept. 30 – stayed fairly steady in the first days after Trump took office, then spiked dramatically Sunday to 956 and Monday to 1,179.
But Trump has been unhappy with the number of arrests so far and has directed federal immigration officials to meet higher detention quotas. He has ordered ICE to raise the arrest numbers from a few hundred a day to at least 1,200 to 1,500.
His plan for mass deportations of migrants has also put him on a potential collision course with governments in Latin America, the original home of most of the America’s estimated 11 million undocumented migrants.
Migrants are escorted across the Hidalgo International border Bridge as they are deported under Title 8 in McAllen, Texas, U.S., January 27, 2025
Since Trump took office a week ago, thousands of migrants have been sent back to Central and South America. Pictured are migrants being escorted to Mexico on Sunday after being deported from the US
A drone view shows giant tents, where Mexican authorities are building a temporary shelter for migrants deported from the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 26, 202
A group of masked and handcuffed migrants are escorted across the Hidalgo International border bridge on January 27, 2025
Agents of the National Guard stand guard at the Flamingos social hall, which will be used as shelter to house migrants deported from the US under President Donald Trump’s administration, in Tijuana, Mexico January 25, 2025
A blazing row erupted between Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro over the deportation flights of Colombian migrants – which Petro refused to accept.
The US and Colombia were on the brink of a full-blown trade war after Trump threatened Colombia with sanctions and massive tariffs for turning back two military planeloads of deported migrants.
Petro was the first Latin American leader to defy Trump over his plans for mass deportations, vowing he would only accept migrants returned on civilian flights who were not treated ‘like criminals.’
His announcement came amid an outcry in left-wing ally Brazil over the treatment of dozens of migrants who were flown home in handcuffs last week, prompting Brasilia to summon Washington’s top envoy Monday to explain their treatment.
But the resistance of Colombia’s president quickly fizzled in the face of Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Colombian imports – despite the two countries having a free-trade agreement – and the suspension of US visa applications.
The foreign ministry said Monday that a Colombian Air Force plane left Bogota in the afternoon with medical staff on board for the US city of San Diego to repatriate 110 Colombians. Shortly after, it announced another had left for Houston, Texas.
Trump claimed victory Monday, telling the congressional Republicans’ annual retreat in Miami that ‘America is respected again.’
The President insisted that ‘as you saw yesterday, we’ve made it clear to every country that they will be taking back our people, that we’re sending out the criminals… the illegal aliens coming from their countries.’
If countries don’t accept their migrants back ‘fast,’ added Trump, ‘they’ll pay a very high economic price, and we’re going to immediately install massive tariffs, and it’ll be placed on them and other sanctions.’
Employees work to build a temporary shelter to prepare for possible mass deportations from the US, in Reynosa, Mexico, January 27, 2025
Workers unload mattresses from a trailer inside a giant tent, where Mexican authorities are building a temporary shelter for migrants deported from the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 27, 2025
Agents of the National Guard pose for a photo at the kitchen of the Flamingos social hall, which will be used as shelter to house migrants deported from the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s administration, in Tijuana, Mexico January 25, 2025
An agent of the National Guard stands outside of a room at the Flamingos social club, which will be used as shelter to house migrants deported from the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s administration, in Tijuana, Mexico January 25, 2025
Trump on Monday said he wants Congress to pass a bill that includes an increase in funding to secure the country’s borders.
He made the comments in a speech to House of Representatives Republicans gathered at his Doral resort in Miami to discuss how to turn the president’s policy priorities into a legislative agenda.
‘In the coming weeks, I’m looking forward to working with Congress on a reconciliation bill that financially takes care of our plans to totally and permanently restore the sovereign borders of the United States once and for all,’ Trump said.
Trump said the increase should include funding for more border security personnel and retention bonuses for Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and border patrol agents.
The extra money should also pay for more detention beds, border security infrastructure and barriers, and completion of the border wall along the border with Mexico, Trump said.
Trump’s sweeping immigration raids across the country have seen violent criminals rounded up and sent packing on government flights at break-neck speed.
The White House, hailing the federal agents who are ‘working tirelessly to protect our communities’, highlighted what it described as ‘some of the worst’ migrants to be rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend.
A Honduran national found with cocaine, fentanyl, and a firearm was arrested following a sting in Washington state, while a Jordanian national with suspected ties to the Islamic State was detained in Buffalo, New York.
ICE arrested a Mexican national with an active INTERPOL Red Notice who was wanted for murder in Los Angeles, as well as a gangster from El Salvador who was wanted for aggravated homicide.
At least two convicted child rapists were taken into custody over the weekend. Federal agents also detained dozens of members of the violent Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
ICE agents arrested Edgar De La Cruz-Manzo, a convicted child rapist, (left) in Seattle, Washington on Saturday. A Jordanian national with suspected ties to ISIS (right) was arrested by ICE Buffalo on Friday
ICE Los Angeles arrested two migrants with active INTERPOL Red Notices on Friday, including an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador wanted for aggravated homicide (left) and a Mexican national wanted for murder
Kevin Adith Torres-Velasquez, a Honduran national found with cocaine, fentanyl, and a firearm (left) was arrested by ICE in Seattle, Washington on Friday. Convicted sex offender and Ethiopian national Yared Geremew Mekonnen (right) was arrested in New Orleans on Friday
But liberals and celebrities are in shock by the immigration crackdown, despite Trump having promised for months that mass deportation would happen on his first day back in office.
Selena Gomez filmed herself breaking down in tears while speaking about the deportation of Mexican people.
The actress, 32, uploaded a very emotional video on her Instagram Story on Monday morning in which she sobbed Trump deporting undocumented immigrants hours after he issued a daily quota of arrests for border officials.
In her recording – which has since been deleted – Gomez admitted she felt powerless over the situation, telling her 422 million followers: ‘I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something, but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything.’
The video did not sit well with social media users though, who were quick to slam her for not using her reported net worth of $1.3 billion to take action herself.
Spearheading the immigration overhaul is border czar Tom Homan, who issued a scathing response to Gomez’s video meltdown.
‘If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law. We’re going to do this operation without apology,’ Homan told Fox News.
‘We’re gonna make our community safer… It is all for the good of this nation. And we’re gonna keep going. No apologies. We’re moving forward.’
Selena Gomez sobbed as she reacted to Trump’s threat of mass deportations of all undocumented immigrants, which has ignited fears of family separations
Border czar Tom Homan has spearheaded the changes – and issued a scathing response to a teary-eyed Gomez, who was upset over the deportation of Mexican people
It comes as an illegal immigrant who has been convicted of child sex crimes shocked Dr. Phil on Sunday when he told him he was ‘not really’ a sex offender as he was taken into custody by immigration enforcement officers.
The TV host, 74, was embedded with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and Homan as they rounded up undocumented migrants in Chicago.
Dr. Phil, whose real name is Phil McGraw, grilled the detainee as he stood handcuffed in the street, video of the man’s arrest revealed.
The television psychologist asked the man – who has since been identified as Sam Seda from Thailand – where he was born and if he had ever been deported from the US before. Sam confirmed he was not an American citizen, but claimed his mother is.
Homan then revealed that Sam was an ‘illegal alien convicted of sex crimes involving children’, claiming he was just one of many illegal criminals walking the streets of sanctuary cities as local authorities prevent federal agents from doing their jobs.
Dr. Phil addressed Sam again, asking: ‘You’ve been charged with sex crimes with children?’
Sam simply replied: ‘Not really.’
‘Not really?!’ a stunned Dr. Phil stated. ‘And never been deported?’
‘Nope,’ Sam doubled down, leaving Dr. Phil apparently shocked.
Homan then told his agents: ‘Let’s take him in, process him, and lock him up.’
The first migrant arrested in ICE raids across Chicago on Sunday was Seda Sam, from Thailand
Dr. Phil revealed that Sam was a ‘convicted sex offender and internet predator’
Immigration officials arrested nearly 1,000 illegal migrants on Sunday alone – capping off a week of nationwide raids that removed thousands of criminals from city streets.
Trump has expanded arrest priorities to include anyone in the country illegally, not just people with criminal convictions, public safety or national security threats and migrants stopped at the border.
ICE hasn’t said how many people it has deported since Trump took office gain, but the administration has highlighted removal flights, including the use of military planes.
Under Biden, ICE deported more than 270,000 people in a 12-month period that ended in September. That was the highest annual tally in a decade, helped by an increase in deportation flights. The Biden administration did not use military planes.
The Trump Administration has made it easier for ICE to deport people without appearing before an immigration judge by expanding ‘expedited removal’ authority nationwide for anyone in the country up to two years.
The administration ended a policy to avoid arrests at ‘sensitive locations,’ including schools, hospitals and places of worship. It said it may deport people who entered the country legally on parole, a presidential authority that Biden used more than any president.
It also threatened to punish ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Trump ended use of a border app to allow migrants to enter the country on two-year permits with eligibility to work, canceling tens of thousands of appointments into early February for people stranded in Mexico. Nearly 1 million people entered the US at land crossings with Mexico by using the CBP One app.
The President also ended a policy that allowed more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to fly to the country on two-year permits if they had a financial sponsor.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it made 956 arrests nationwide on Sunday and 286 on Saturday
Marines installed wire along the southern border with Mexico on Saturday
Trump has secured Mexico’s approval to reinstate a hallmark policy of his first term, ‘Remain in Mexico,’ which requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in US immigration court.
He stopped resettling refugees who are vetted abroad before entering the United States until further review, a program that he largely dismantled in his first term and was resurrected under Biden. Groups that provide temporary housing, job training and other support said the State Department told them Friday to stop work immediately.
The Justice Department also told legal aid groups to stop work on federal programs that help people in immigration courts and detention centers navigate complex laws.
Trump said he was ending automatic citizenship for children born on US soil, a precedent established by constitutional amendment in 1868. A federal judge in Seattle has put it on hold.
