President Donald Trump addressed the nation in a nearly two-hour briefing at the White House, marking the first anniversary of his second term. The focus of his remarks was on the nation’s immigration enforcement, border control, and the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Trump presented a 365-page dossier highlighting his administration’s achievements in the first year. Central to his briefing was the administration’s aggressive actions against illegal immigration. He emphasized that the enforcement operations targeted murderers, drug traffickers, human smugglers, and criminal networks, successfully removing thousands of dangerous individuals from U.S. streets.
While acknowledging that mistakes occurred and that ICE sometimes acted with excessive force, Trump stressed that the agency dealt with highly dangerous people. He noted that approximately 47 percent of those detained had criminal charges in the U.S.
In a key policy shift, Trump said he has instructed officials to slightly relax immigration enforcement. Many undocumented immigrants are now working in farms, hotels, and restaurants, contributing to the economy. He emphasized that the administration’s priority should now be catching criminals rather than targeting all undocumented residents.
Discussing Minnesota, Trump highlighted several arrests of individuals involved in major mines, large drug networks, and financial fraud. He also criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, claiming that without stricter measures, such large-scale enforcement operations would not have been necessary.
Trump referred to the recent tragedy involving Renegudo, calling it a horrific event and stating that he understands both law enforcement and family perspectives. He accused some protestors of exploiting the incident for political gain.
He also claimed that military operations had successfully stopped 100 percent of drug trafficking by sea and that the next goal is to curb land-based smuggling. Trump described immigration and anti-drug operations as two sides of the same battle, underlining the connection between border security and national safety.
The president said that open borders increase crime, allow drug trafficking, and facilitate human smuggling. His administration has increased drone surveillance and technology-based monitoring along the border.
Trump concluded by emphasizing that his administration is not against immigrants but is committed to combating crime. He expressed sympathy for those who come to work legally while making it clear that individuals involved in murder, drug trafficking, and violent crime have no place in the U.S.
He reiterated that immigration enforcement would remain a central policy of his second term, balancing compassion for working immigrants with strong action against criminal threats.