Trump again calls ICE efforts against MS-13 like 'liberating towns'

President Trump on Tuesday again mentioned MS-13 and likened the deportation efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to “liberating towns.”

He made the comments during his address at the “Salute to Service” dinner in West Virginia.

“You know, ICE is the one,” Trump said. “These are tough people. And you have to be tough. And when they have a problem with MS-13 gangs and all of these others that came in through these horrible and weak immigration laws that…we’re strengthening up — we’re going to get them done. We need tough laws. We need fair laws.”

“But when these people come into our country and come in illegally, and then they’re dispersed throughout the country, and all of a sudden you see nests of MS-13 — you know, it’s like you’re liberating towns,” he continued. “We sent ICE in. And for ICE, it’s just another day.”

He’d made a similar comment just days prior.

“The Democrats are making a strong push to abolish ICE, one of the smartest, toughest and most spirited law enforcement groups of men and women that I have ever seen. I have watched ICE liberate towns from the grasp of MS-13 & clean out the toughest of situations. They are great!” Trump said in a Saturday tweet.

It remains unclear which towns had been fully taken over by MS-13, but, according to the New York Times, ICE has apprehended hundreds of the gang’s members.