Trump boasts record illegal migrant arrests, blasts media to 'put up a fight'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is claiming his administration has reached historic highs in immigration enforcement, declaring that federal authorities are arresting and removing illegal migrants at rates unmatched by any previous White House.

In a series of posts on Truth Social on Friday, June 26, Trump celebrated what he described as record-breaking daily arrests by immigration officers while accusing critics and parts of the media of downplaying his administration's achievements. 

He also argued that comparisons with former President Barack Obama's immigration record are misleading because, according to him, previous administrations counted categories of migrants his team does not.

Trump claims record enforcement

Trump said newly released figures show his administration has set multiple immigration enforcement records, although he acknowledged that discussing arrest statistics was not something he particularly enjoyed.

"It was just announced that the Trump Administration has the Highest Average Daily Arrest Rate by ICE and CBP... than any other president, by far!" Trump wrote.

He also claimed his administration has achieved the highest number of removals over a 12-month period, saying court delays and not enforcement efforts are the main reason deportation numbers could be even higher.

According to Trump, thousands of migrants who already have final removal orders remain in the country because immigration cases are being slowed by the courts.

He further argued that his administration also leads in the average daily number of migrants apprehended and repatriated, insisting, "No other president comes close."

The president devoted much of his message to rejecting comparisons between his immigration record and that of former President Barack Obama.

Trump argued that previous administrations inflated their removal figures by including migrants who were stopped before ever entering the United States.

"For all of those who like to say that Barack Hussein Obama, and his Vice President, Sleepy Joe Biden, did as many Criminal ICE removals as President Trump, the figures are just in," he wrote.

He claimed those earlier statistics counted "hundreds of thousands of people that never came close to getting into our Country," adding that his administration excludes those categories while still recording higher removal numbers.

"We don't include such categories but, even if we did, ICE and CBP removed many more Illegal Aliens under President Trump than under Obama, It's not even close!" Trump said.

Trump takes aim at legacy media

Beyond highlighting immigration statistics, Trump also criticized television anchors, political commentators and Democratic critics for questioning or comparing his administration's enforcement record with previous presidents.

He singled out Fox News anchor Shannon Bream, suggesting she and other journalists should more aggressively challenge such comparisons.

"So, when you hear these Anchors, Pundits, Dumocrats, and Communists, try to make the case that President Obama's numbers are comparable to President Trump, it would be nice if people like 'Milk Toast' Shannon Bream, and others, would put up a little fight, Just a little," Trump wrote.

Trump has made immigration enforcement one of the defining priorities of his second term, repeatedly promising what he has described as the largest deportation operation in American history.

His administration has expanded ICE enforcement, pushed to end several humanitarian immigration programs, increased workplace enforcement operations, and defended stricter border measures as necessary to reduce illegal immigration.