Handcuffed and on a military plane. This is how US President Donald Trump's aggressive campaign to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States or in their country of origin began.
"As promised, President Donald Trump is sending a strong message to the world: anyone who enters the United States illegally will face serious consequences," the White House said.
The dramatic image was actually posted on social media by the White House itself, confirming that deportation flights have already begun. It is reported that US authorities have arrested more than 538 migrants, with hundreds of them already repatriated via flights operated by military aircraft.
The mass deportation operation began just days after President Trump signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the border with Mexico and demanded concrete plans to combat what he called "criminal immigrants."
He has also ordered the deployment of up to 10,000 military troops to protect the southern border from what he considers “a refugee invasion.” Fox News reports that the federal border and immigration agency in the US has made several high-profile arrests, particularly in the Boston area. (A2 Televizion)