WASHINGTON (7News) — The Department of Homeland Security said over 1,300 illegal immigrants were arrested after a massive two-week operation swept across Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland.
The effort, called “Operation Safe Community – Washington, D.C.,” started on August 1, mainly targeting people who DHS said were offenders with criminal histories.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin lashed out at the politicians in Virginia and Maryland, saying their sanctuary policies elevate the needs of illegal immigrants above Americans’ safety.
“The brave men and women of ICE are hard at work every single day getting these dangerous illegal aliens out of our country. Over the course of just two weeks in Virginia and Maryland, they arrested sexual assailants, kidnappers, drunk drivers, robbers, and gang members,” Mullin said. “While sanctuary politicians in Virginia and Maryland keep putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people, the Trump Administration will always put American citizens first. By arresting and removing illegal aliens from our communities, we will make America safe again.”
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DHS said most of the operation was focused specifically in the District but also included immigration enforcement throughout the entirety of Virginia and Maryland.
“Of the 1,328 illegal aliens arrested, almost 400 have either been convicted or charged with crimes in the United States,” DHS said. “ICE officers made these arrests despite the sanctuary policies of many of the counties throughout Virginia and Maryland.”
DHS said members of criminal street gangs like MS-13, 18th Street Gang and Tren de Aragua were arrested as part of the operation.
“Once again, our officers are out in the streets arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from American communities – this time in the Washington, D.C. area,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde. “Our officers are the best in the world at finding people who do not want to be located. That’s exactly what we did throughout the course of this operation. Removing these criminal alien offenders from Virginia and Maryland neighborhoods makes for much safer communities, and that is exactly what the men and women of ICE work to accomplish every day across our great nation.”
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