Donald Trump’s mass deportation drive is in full swing with images showing shackled illegal migrants being escorted on to a military plane for repatriation to their home countries.

“Deportation flights have begun,” Karoline Leavitt, Mr Trump’s press secretary declared on Friday morning, sharing photos of a line of men on an airfield wearing chains around their ankles and wrists.

Ms Leavitt said “hundreds of illegal criminals” had been deported calling it the “largest massive deportation operation in history”.

On Thursday, 538 migrants were arrested, 373 for criminal activity, she added.

Among those deported were a suspected terrorist, four members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors, according to Ms Leavitt.