Migrant mugshots displayed along White House lawn


Summary

100 mugshots

The Trump administration placed around 100 posters depicting the mugshots of migrants living in the country illegally outside the White House, highlighting their alleged crimes like rape, murder and fentanyl distribution.

Visualizing Trump's immigration policies

Positioned behind the press area, the display underscores Trump’s hardline immigration stance.

Secure borders or violations of due process?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move, calling U.S. borders “secure,” while Sen. Chris Van Hollen condemned recent deportations, citing violations of due process.


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Summary

100 mugshots

The Trump administration placed around 100 posters depicting the mugshots of migrants living in the country illegally outside the White House, highlighting their alleged crimes like rape, murder and fentanyl distribution.

Visualizing Trump's immigration policies

Positioned behind the press area, the display underscores Trump’s hardline immigration stance.

Secure borders or violations of due process?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move, calling U.S. borders “secure,” while Sen. Chris Van Hollen condemned recent deportations, citing violations of due process.


Full story

The Trump administration has placed around 100 posters outside the White House, each of which shows the mugshot of a migrant accused of living in the country illegally, while highlighting their alleged crimes, which include rape, murder, child sexual abuse and fentanyl distribution. Under each photo is the phrase “illegal alien,” with the White House’s official logo stamped at the bottom.

Posters appear ahead of 100-day mark

President Donald Trump’s administration added the mugshot posters along the driveway of the White House, just before Trump’s 100th day in office. The mugshot posters are directly behind where the national press corps reporters line up for their White House live shots.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke about Trump’s border policies during a press briefing Monday, April 28.

“America’s borders are now secure because of President Trump. He has restored the rule of law, enforced our immigration laws and defended America’s sovereignty,” Leavitt said. “The president immediately declared a national emergency on the southern border, deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion and ended reckless catch and release policies.”

Critics condemn deportation practices

The mugshot posters come at a time when Trump’s adversaries have criticized his immigration policies.

Federal immigration authorities have detained several women and children, including the wife of an active-duty member of the Coast Guard, the mother of a 1-year-old girl and three U.S. citizen children ages 2, 4 and 7, as well as their mothers, who officials maintain lack proper documentation to live in the country.

The American Civil Liberties Union calls the detainments a violation of due process, writing, “The families, who had lived in the United States for years and had deep ties to their communities, were deported from the U.S. under deeply troubling circumstances that raise serious due process concerns.”

In March, the Trump administration deported what they claimed to be Venezuelan gang members to a mega prison in El Salvador. However, one man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran living in Maryland, had a 2019 court order protecting him from being deported.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., called Abrego Garcia’s deportation an “illegal abduction” with no due process.

Bast Bramhall (Video Editor) contributed to this report.
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Why this story matters

This story matters as it highlights the ongoing debates around immigration policy and enforcement in the U.S., particularly under the Trump administration's approach to migrants living in the country without proper documentation.

Immigration enforcement

The administration's actions illustrate significant shifts in immigration enforcement, which can affect the lives of many individuals and families.

Political opposition

The contrasting views between the Trump administration and its critics reveal deep ideological divides regarding immigration policies and human rights.

Public perception

The use of public displays of migrant mugshots aims to shape public perception and discourse around immigration issues, complicating the narrative surrounding individuals living in the country illegally.

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Context corner

Historically, the enforcement of immigration laws has fluctuated between leniency and strictness. The current administration's tactics reflect a shift towards a more aggressive approach to immigration control reminiscent of policies enacted in earlier decades, illustrating an ongoing debate over balancing security with humanitarian considerations.

Debunking

There is no substantial evidence to support claims that the recent immigration policies have created a safety net, and reports show that many deported individuals did not have criminal records. This aspect counters the narrative that all deportations are of dangerous criminals, raising concerns about the accuracy of representations in the media and public discourse.

Underreported

While the articles extensively cover the administration's focus on deportation and crime by illegal immigrants, they underreport the impact of such immigration policies on families, particularly legal U.S. citizen children affected by the deportations. This aspect highlights the human dimension often overshadowed by political narratives.

Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left characterized it as a dehumanizing "propaganda campaign" using emotionally charged terms like "litters" and "trophy," highlighting alleged mistreatment.
  • Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
  • Media outlets on the right presented it as a necessary effort to highlight "illegal immigrant crime," emphasizing specific cases and using terms like "illegal alien" to reinforce a connection between immigration status and criminality.

Media landscape

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84 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • White House staffers placed posters featuring mugshots of immigrants accused of crimes along the White House walkway on the morning of April 28, 2025.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi and Tom Homan promoted the posters during interviews, highlighting Trump's immigration policies amid declining public support.
  • A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll indicates that 53% of the public disapproves of Trump's immigration actions, a sentiment echoed in other polls.
  • The display aimed to highlight the administration's immigration crackdown but is unlikely to change widespread public criticism of Trump's approach.

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Key points from the Right

  • The White House lawn displays posters of 100 individuals labeled as "worst illegal immigrant criminals" arrested during President Donald Trump's second term.
  • The posters include mugshots and list crimes such as murder, sexual assault, and fentanyl distribution.
  • Karoline Leavitt shared details about the posters on X, indicating the high-profile nature of the display.
  • "Border czar" Tom Homan is scheduled to discuss immigration efforts in a press briefing shortly after the poster reveal.

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