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US announces arrest of suspected Turkish ‘terrorist’ in immigration crackdown

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The White House has announced the arrest of a Turkish national described as “a known or suspected terrorist” amid a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, according to a report by Voice of America (VOA) Turkish edition on Tuesday.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed the Trump administration’s hardline stance on illegal immigration during a press briefing on Tuesday, announcing the arrest of more than 1,100 undocumented foreigners in recent enforcement operations.

Among those apprehended was a Turkish national, described by Leavitt as “a known or suspected terrorist,” who was arrested in New York by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 23 for “entry without inspection.”

While Leavitt did not disclose the identity of the Turkish national, reports from Fox News and the New York Post on January 23, citing officials, revealed that the individual apprehended in New York was 30-year-old Gökhan Adrıgüzel.

There was no information about which terrorist group Adrıgüzel is allegedly linked to.

Exiled Turkish journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan on Tuesday announced the arrest of Adrıgüzel on X, saying that the incident has caused significant panic, particularly among Turkish nationals who have crossed the Mexican border to enter the US.

Arslan shared a post containing a list of warnings and recommendations on what a Turkish national should do when encountering an ICE officer, saying this was the first time he had seen such a post despite being a member of social media groups for Turkish nationals in the US for many years.

The post states that when confronted by an ICE officer, one is not obligated to open the door, sign or hand over any documents. One can ask the officer to leave if they do not have a warrant, and in the case of an arrest, one can request to speak with a lawyer.

Leavitt said that President Trump had sent “a loud and clear message” to the entire world that “America will no longer tolerate illegal immigration.”

“So, to foreign nationals thinking about illegally entering the United States, think again. Under this president, you will be detained and deported,” she added.

When pressed about reports that nearly half of the arrested foreigners had no prior criminal record, the press secretary declared that entering the country illegally made them “by definition, a criminal.”

During his election campaign, Trump had promised to implement extensive deportation operations if elected. Since taking office on January 20, he has signed 21 executive orders aimed at overhauling the US immigration system, according to VOA.

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