WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensified operations last week, arresting hundreds of criminal illegal aliens with convictions ranging from child rape and sexual assault to murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE officers are facing a surge of violence as they remove what she called “the worst of the worst” from American communities. DHS reports assaults against ICE officers have increased more than 1,000 percent as officers continue high-risk enforcement actions.
Among those arrested were offenders convicted of heinous crimes, including attempted murder in New York, child rape in Massachusetts and Texas, drug trafficking in North Carolina, and aggravated sexual assault in New Jersey. ICE also lodged a detainer against a twice-deported criminal alien charged with raping a young jogger in New Haven, Connecticut, highlighting tensions with sanctuary states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
DHS said it now has more than 1,000 formal 287(g) agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, a sixfold increase from previous years, giving local officers authority to assist ICE in identifying and detaining criminal aliens. Officials announced new reimbursement incentives to encourage broader participation.
Meanwhile, ICE has received over 150,000 applications from Americans seeking to join its ranks, extending 18,000 tentative job offers amid what Secretary Kristi Noem described as a nationwide call to service.
Operations extended beyond U.S. borders. In international waters, U.S. forces under Southern Command killed three narco-terrorists from Venezuela in what officials described as a strike against criminal networks bringing drugs into the country.
The week also saw violent unrest. Rioters in Illinois attacked ICE’s Broadview Processing Center, slashing tires, throwing tear gas canisters, and assaulting officers. DHS blamed local sanctuary policies for emboldening attacks, accusing state leaders of refusing to support federal law enforcement.
ICE said it has arrested more than 400,000 illegal aliens under the Trump Administration, with nearly 70 percent facing criminal charges or convictions. Despite opposition from sanctuary jurisdictions in states such as California, Illinois, and New York, McLaughlin vowed ICE will continue targeting the most dangerous offenders.
“These predators, gang members, and violent criminals will not be allowed to roam free in our communities,” McLaughlin said. “No amount of political obstruction or violent rhetoric will deter ICE from protecting the American people.”
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