Federal immigration authorities made a significant number of arrests over the Independence Day weekend, targeting individuals with serious criminal convictions.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that ICE officers arrested numerous immigrants with convictions for violent crimes, including murder, burglary, and child sex crimes.
According to DHS, the arrests were part of a holiday sweep, aimed at removing public safety threats from the country.
DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated that the agency's law enforcement officers work tirelessly, even on holidays, to make communities safer.
Under the Trump administration, ICE has more than doubled its workforce, with 12,000 new officers and agents hired in less than a year.
The agency highlighted several high-profile arrests, including a Panamanian citizen with convictions for murder and assault, a Mexican citizen previously convicted of second-degree murder and kidnapping, and another Mexican citizen with convictions for child sex crimes.
ICE also arrested a Mexican citizen with convictions for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, as well as a Cuban citizen convicted of aggravated stalking and cocaine possession.
The Department of Homeland Security's announcement comes as the Trump administration continues its campaign to deport criminal immigrants and push back against sanctuary jurisdictions.
Sanctuary city politicians who prioritize the interests of illegal immigrants over their own citizens are considered a national security threat, according to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Mullin's comments were in response to the fact that Fairfax County, Virginia, has refused to transfer over 600 illegal immigrants to ICE while designating itself a sanctuary jurisdiction in 2021.
