‘Shame on You!’ Karoline Leavitt Scolds Reporter Over Question About White House’s Own Deportation Guidance

Andrew Feinberg, the White House correspondent for The Independent, went back and forth with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Monday about criteria DHS uses to classify illegal migrants as foreign combatants.

Leavitt shouted, “Shame on you!” at Feinberg at one point after he noted some migrants can be classified as members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua and become eligible for deportation to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act over symbols in their tattoos and their clothing.

The White House press secretary disagreed with Feinberg, who cited the federal government’s own documents on the matter.

Feinberg said, “You can get classified [as Tren de Aragua] by simply having certain symbols in your tattoos and wearing certain streetwear brands. That alone is enough to get someone classified as TDA and sent to El Salvador.”

Leavitt fired back, “That’s not true, actually, Andrew.”

Feinberg attempted to read from a DHS document laying out how immigration authorities confirm Tren de Aragua affiliations as he and Leavitt spoke over one another.

When the reporter noted that he had a question about the process, Leavitt replied, “Shame on you! And shame on the mainstream media for trying to cover for these individuals! This is a vicious gang, Andrew.”

Feinerberg was reading from a DHS Tren de Aragua “validation guide” that he later posted online.

Per the department, a foreign national can be designated a member of the gang by accumulating eight total points on 20 total data points. For example, the following criteria cited by Feinberg are worth four points each, meaning tattoos and clothing alone are enough for someone to be deported to a prison in El Salvador:

• Subject has tattoos denoting membership/loyalty to TDA
• Subject displays insignia, logos, notations, drawings, or dress known to indicate allegiance to TDA, as observed by law enforcement in person or via virtual mediums

The DHS document shared by Feinberg explains:

After accounting for the two comments below, aliens scoring 8 points and higher are validated as members of TDA; you should proceed with issuing Form AEA-21B, titled, “Notice and Warrant of Apprehension and Removal under the Alien Enemies Act.” Aliens scoring 6 or 7 points may be validated as members of TDA; you should consult with a supervisor and OPLA, reviewing the totality of the facts, before making that determination; if you determine an alien should not be validated at this time as a member of TDA, when available, you should initiate removal proceedings under the INA. Alien scoring 5 points or less should not be validated at this time as member of TDA; when available, you should initiate removal proceedings under the INA.

After his exchange with Leavitt, Feinberg wrote on social media, “Obviously TdA is bad and if someone is a TdA member and deportable they should be deported but one would hope our government with all it’s resources can do more to figure out who’s who go entirely off wardrobe and body art if the result is being sent to a foreign supermax prison.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.