ICE detains 200+ illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds in massive NYC sting | Law Enforcement Today

NEW YORK CITY, NY - More than 200 people identified as illegal immigrants have been targeted and arrested in a large New York City sting operation as part of President Donald Trump's illegal immigration crackdown.

According to NBC4, of the 206 arrested between April 6th and April 12th, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that more than half had significant criminal convictions or are currently facing charges for crimes like murder, assault, arson, rape, drugs, and illegal firearms. Convicted sex predators and drug lords were among the group as well.

ICE said that agents and law enforcement partners engaged in a targeted enforcement operation focusing on "egregious" criminal offenders in and around the New York City area. One of the individuals captured is a foreign fugitive wanted for crimes in his home country and one has a homicide conviction in the Philippines. 

A number of the illegal immigrants are believed to be associated with transnational criminal organizations known to operate in the New York area, including the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Sureños, and 18th Street gangs. Mayor Eric Adams said that he supports cooperation on every level of law enforcement.

He said, "ICE is not a criminal organization. ICE is a law enforcement organization. I cooperate with law enforcement agencies on public safety." Partner law enforcement participating in the operation were FBI New York, DEA New York, ATF New York, USMC New York, DSS New York, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement, "New York is much safer today because of the hard work of ICE and our law enforcement partners. Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around the city of New York. Our efforts resulted in 206 arrests in just one week."

Back in March, ICE arrested more than 100 people during an operation in a sprawling, majority Latino housing development outside of Houston. According to the Texas Tribune, Tom Homan said the operation in Colony Ridge had resulted in "around 90 arrests." In a social media post, ICE said that 118 people had been arrested, including people with prior convictions that included crimes like homicide, theft, and child sexual abuse.

At the time, a spokesperson for ICE said, "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts routine, daily enforcement alongside our federal, state, and local enforcement partners throughout the Houston community to bolster public safety, national security, and border security."

In an interview with Fox News, Homan said that the operation was the "first phase" of a larger criminal investigation. He said that some of those arrested had warrants for their arrest while others were apprehended during traffic stops. He said there were several sexual predators arrested and at least one who was "convicted of either homicide or murder."