Noem estimates the number of illegal immigrants who left the country voluntarily at 'more than a million'
The Homeland Security secretary noted that "hundreds of thousands of illegal criminals" were also arrested since Trump's second term began.
Kristi Noem, during an appearance
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump Administration estimates "more than a million" illegal immigrants who left the country of their own free will since the president returned to the White House on Jan. 20.
At a press conference in Chicago, Noem said that "hundreds of thousands of illegal criminals" were arrested since Donald Trump's second term got underway.
"We believe that more than a million people have returned home on their own since this administration began," the DHS secretary noted, adding that "thousands of people" used the CBP Home application, with which they can self-deport.
"More than 70% have criminal convictions or pending charges"
Regarding the "illegal criminals" arrested, Noem stressed that "more than 70% have pending charges or criminal convictions, the rest have final deportation orders."
With Noem's arrival at DHS, arrests of illegal immigrants with convictions or pending court proceedings skyrocketed, as did police raids against them.
"We conduct targeted police operations across the country and use our case files and information to find out who is a criminal in this country who needs to be deported and who has a final order of deportation," he said. "They are not law-abiding if they are here illegally."
On law enforcement operations, which involve Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Noem noted that there is a lot of demand to join the agency as an agent.
"President Trump allocated us the resources to hire 10,000 new ICE officers. We have more than 80,000 applicants for those positions," he concluded.
LATEST
