The Trump administration sparked outrage after using the official White House X account to share an A.I.-generated Studio Ghibli-style cartoon to mock the arrest and deportation of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, a Dominican migrant who had previously been deported from the United States after being convicted of fentanyl trafficking.
Basora-Gonzalez was arrested in Philadelphia by ICE for allegedly reentering the U.S. illegally. Seen in tears as she was taken into custody, the woman, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, had prior convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting.
The White House initially shared an image denigrating "the alien felon" that shows her cuffed and in the custody of an ICE agent:
"Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, a previously deported alien felon convicted of fentanyl trafficking, was arrested by [ICE] in Philadelphia after illegally reentering the U.S. She wept when taken into custody."
You can see the post below.
ICE, along with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, took Basora-Gonzalez into custody on March 12. According to an ICE news release, she had previously been deported but unlawfully reentered the country without authorization.
Her legal troubles began in 2019 when the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested her on charges of attempting to possess and distribute fentanyl. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2020 to just over a year in confinement, followed by four years of supervised release. ICE deported her to the Dominican Republic later that year, on October 6. It remains unclear when she reentered the U.S.
On the day of her latest arrest, ICE issued a notice of intent to reinstate her final order of removal and secured a federal arrest warrant. She was transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service and will remain in federal custody pending illegal reentry charges in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The White House later followed up with an animation depicting a sobbing Basora-Gonzalez in cuffs before an ICE agent.
You can see it below.
@TheWhiteHouse/X
The White House was harshly criticized for its post, which at least one person called "evil."
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane said that "the apprehension of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez demonstrates our commitment to protecting our communities from criminal aliens who engage in serious illegal activities that pose a threat to public safety."
Authorities confirmed Basora-Gonzalez’s identity through the FBI fingerprint database. On the day of her arrest, ICE issued her a notice of intent to reinstate her prior removal order. Shortly after, she was transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service following a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint issued by a U.S. magistrate judge.
She will remain in federal custody while facing charges for illegal reentry after deportation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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