President Donald Trump promised to find, arrest, jail, and deport "every gang member and criminal alien" during a speech on Friday.
Trump spoke at Suffolk County Community College on Long Island, addressing the challenges posed by the violent MS-13 transnational gang. The group, which the Justice Department says has more than 10,000 members nationwide, is responsible for 17 killings in New York's Suffolk County in the last year.
"I have a simple message today for every gang member and criminal alien that are threatening so violently our people. We will find you, we will arrest you, we will jail you, and we will deport you," Trump said.
MS-13 is known particularly for its violent tactics, motivated by the motto "kill, rape, and control." Defeating the gang is a top priority of the Trump administration.
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to El Salvador to meet with local law enforcement in hopes of combatting MS-13's violence in one of their home bases.
