(NewsNation) — Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales praised President Donald Trump on Friday, saying 80 Guatemalan nationals were deported from his district as a result of the new administration’s aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration.
“In 4 days President Trump has done more to protect our country than Biden did in 4 years,” Gonzales, a United States representative for the 23rd District of Texas, posted on X.
Gonzales said the Department of Defense assisted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with deporting the migrants from Biggs Army Airfield in his district.
“#TX23 has been ground zero for the border crisis and will be ground zero for DEPORTATION operations,” he posted.
Trump signed several executive orders dealing with immigration Monday shortly after being sworn in for his second term in the White House. Part of Trump’s plans to declare a national emergency at the border includes sending military troops there to assist with enforcement as well as plans to expand the border wall.
Gonzales has previously said he would help Trump’s efforts.
“The numbers (of border crossings) are down, but there’s so much more to this problem than just numbers on a piece of paper,” Gonzales told NewsNation. “It’s about infrastructure, it’s about training, it’s about technology, it’s about making sure we add miles to the border wall.”
Gonzales also said part of implementing new policies is about giving border officials the tools they need to operate. That includes technology, equipment and pay and benefits that will send the message that their work is being valued.
The president previously ordered 4,000 National Guard troops to the border, a number which was scaled back to 2,500 by former President Joe Biden. The number of guardsmen increased when border encounters jumped.
However, military troops do not have the legal right to enforce federal immigration policies, which can deter migrants from entering the country illegally.
NewsNation’s Jeff Arnold contributed to this story.