Quote I am calling on the Congress to finally close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13, and other criminals, to break into our country.

MS-13 IS A THREAT TO AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: President Donald J. Trump is committed to protecting communities from the violent animals of MS-13.

MS-13 is a transnational gang that has committed horrendous acts of violence in communities across America. The gang’s motto is “mata, viola, controla,” which means “kill, rape, control.”

There are more than 10,000 MS-13 members in the United States and more than 30,000 members worldwide. MS-13 is active in at least 40 States and the District of Columbia.

Local MS-13 leaders often communicate and take orders from gang leaders in El Salvador.

President Trump is meeting with law enforcement, local leaders, and victims of MS-13 violence on Long Island, New York. Communities on Long Island have been strongly impacted by the violence and suffering spread by MS-13. Police suspect MS-13 was involved in at least 25 killings on Long Island between 2016 and 2018. MS-13 is the largest and most violent gang on Long Island, with an estimated 2,000 MS-13 members in the area.



STRONG ACTION AGAINST MS-13: President Trump’s Administration is committed to combating MS-13 on all possible fronts.

President Trump’s Administration is fighting back against MS-13, by taking a wide range of actions against the gang. ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested 796 MS-13 members and associates in fiscal year (FY) 2017, an 83 percent increase from FY 2016. In 2017, the Department of Justice worked with partners in Central America to secure criminal charges against more than 4,000 MS-13 members. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 228 illegal aliens affiliated with MS-13 in FY 2017.



ELIMINATE LOOPHOLES HINDERING EFFORTS TO COMBAT MS-13: The current immigration system contains loopholes and barriers that hinder efforts to fully confront MS-13.