President Donald Trump defended Friday the recent deportation raid conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Wednesday, saying that it would be a “good deterrent” for people thinking of crossing into the United States illegally.

“This serves as a very good deterrent, if people come into our country illegally, they’re going out, they’re not coming illegally and staying,” Trump said.

The president commented on the ICE raids as he left the White House on Friday for a series of fundraisers in New York.

Altogether 680 illegal immigrants working at a Mississippi food plant were detained by ICE authorities on Wednesday as part of massive enforcement sweep.

Critics immediately raged against the president, after the media featured children in the United States who were separated from their parents during the raid.

But Trump defended it as part of the process.

“You have to go in, you can’t let anybody know,” he said.

He said the raids would send a strong message to people coming into the country illegally.

“We have bad laws, they may get in, although we’re being very tough, but they may get in, but it doesn’t matter, because they’re going out,” he said.