Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump freely disparaged US immigration laws Tuesday at the White House, claiming that "not another country in the world has the stupidity of laws that we do when it comes to immigration."

The comment, which came during an event aimed at combating the MS-13 gang, comes as Trump is trying to tie gang violence in the United States -- particularly that of MS-13 -- with the need to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and reform the immigration system.

"We need these immigration laws changed. We are just not going to be able to continue to do this. They just come in so far, so easy," the President said. "And then you have catch and release. You catch people, you have to release them right away."

He added: "Not another country in the world has the stupidity of laws that we do when it comes to immigration. And if we don't get them changed, this isn't politics, this isn't Republican and Democrat, this is common sense. So, it has to be taken care of."

Trump also claimed on Tuesday that members of the gang that traces its roots back to El Salvador "just come right through" the US-Mexico border and "recruits through our broken immigration system."

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