John Block, a state representative for New Mexico's District 51, said that the removal of an MS-13 gang member by former President Donald Trump was lawful and he denounced representative Shri Thanedar for calling for Trump's impeachment.
"President Trump legally and properly deported a criminal ILLEGAL alien MS-13 gangbanger," said Block, House Representative. "Now this random, super strange person. Who looks like a parody of the worst-done SNL skit in history. Is trying to impeach him for that."
In April 2025, Representative Shri Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment against Trump, citing his use of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations without due process. According to Politico, Thanedar argued that Trump's actions bypassed asylum protections and violated both domestic and international legal standards. This move has sparked a renewed national debate over presidential powers in immigration enforcement.
A 2020 report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicated that the Trump administration deported 1,131 MS-13 gang members and arrested 1,746 affiliated individuals that year. These figures reflect a targeted effort to prioritize gang-related removals as part of the administration's broader immigration enforcement strategy. ICE emphasized the removal of criminal threats as a core mission during this period.
According to Newsweek, MS-13 deportations were higher during the Trump administration, consistently exceeding 1,000 removals per year. In contrast, the Biden administration saw reduced figures due to policy shifts and pandemic-related constraints. Biden’s ICE directives deprioritized gang-focused enforcement compared to Trump’s aggressive stance. The data highlights divergent immigration enforcement philosophies between the two presidencies.
Block is a Republican member of the New Mexico House of Representatives for District 51, first elected in 2022. According to the New Mexico Legislature’s official website, he advocates for strict immigration enforcement, border security, and conservative education reforms. He has emerged as a prominent voice on right-leaning policy in southern New Mexico.
