Scoop: Trump staff puts immigrants' mug shots on White House lawn
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Photos: Provided to Axios by a Trump administration source
Trump administration officials late Sunday began placing dozens of posters of arrested unauthorized immigrants along the White House driveway.
- It's a provocative, sure-to-be-controversial move aimed at highlighting President Trump's immigration crackdown as his 100th day in office approaches.
Driving the news: The posters — which read "ARRESTED" — specify various crimes linked to the pictured immigrants and have the White House's official logo at the bottom.
- The "roughly 100" posters were being placed strategically along "Pebble Beach," where TV news crews do live shots in front of the mansion. A White House official told Axios the intent is for the posters to be visible behind TV journalists reporting from those positions.
- Posters positioned near the West Wing claim to show unauthorized immigrants arrested for "first-degree murder," "sexual abuse of a child," "kidnapping and rape," "murder," "rape of a child," and "distribution of fentanyl."
- Others claim to show people charged with "sexual assault of minors," "sexual contact with a child," and "lewd acts in front of a child."
- The posters describe the arrestees as "illegal aliens." Their names and precise legal statuses aren't included.
Zoom in: The gambit is among a series of attention-getting moves that Trump's team aims to pull off this week, with Trump's 100th day falling on Tuesday.
- Despite Trump's slide in various polls recently — including on the economy and immigration, which have been his strongest issues — Trump's team continues to see immigration and his support of mass deportations as a political winner.
- "You can expect the White House to tout the many promises made on the campaign trail that have been fulfilled in the president's first 100 days," a White House official told Axios.
- The posters at the White House show "some of the worst illegal immigrants and criminals the Trump administration has arrested since taking office."
The poster display comes as the administration is under fire for its harsh treatment of some arrested immigrants, its questionable deportations, and for moving against judges who disagree with its policies.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previewed Trump's 100-day PR blitz on Friday, with a post on X: "If you are here illegally and you break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up."
- White House border czar Tom Homan is scheduled to host a press briefing Monday morning to highlight the administration's efforts.
The big picture: Trump's overall job approval rating at this point in his presidency is the lowest of any president in 80 years, according to an ABC News/WashingtonPost/Ipsos poll released over the weekend.
- His numbers have been falling across the board, but immigration remains his strongest issue, according to a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.
- Fifty-two percent said Trump's deportation policy was either "about right" or "hadn't gone far enough."
- Overall, 46% said they approved of Trump's handling of immigration, about 10 points higher than he registered on the economy and trade.
Even so, Trump's support on immigration appears to be softening.
- A YouGov/Economist poll late last week found that his approval rating on immigration was at 45%, down 10 points just since April 16.
