MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore responded to mass arrests in the state, saying federal officials carried out recent actions without notifying elected leaders.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday that over 1,300 illegal immigrants were arrested after a massive two-week operation swept across 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.”
Gov. Moore said public safety remains his main concern, emphasizing that removing violent offenders can help protect neighborhoods.
We’ve seen frightening footage of older women being taken from their apartment buildings, workers chased in residential neighborhoods, parents separated from American children – and we are deeply concerned by reports that an individual suffered a broken neck during an ICE arrest.
Gov. Moore expressed concern that, according to numbers released by ICE, only a small portion of those detained had been charged with or convicted of crimes.
He warned these operations could harm the state’s workforce. “I’ve heard firsthand from business leaders across the State that these immigration policies are taking legal workers out of our nursing homes, scaring farmworkers from showing up to work and making the cost of everything from groceries to delivery services higher,” the governor said.
Gov. Moore objected to the way agents carried out the arrests. “Deploying untrained, unqualified and unaccountable agents to sweep through our communities and spread fear is not a public safety strategy. It undermines trust between law enforcement and the people they serve and it does not make us safer,” he said.
DHS said members of criminal street gangs like MS-13, 18th Street Gang and Tren de Aragua were arrested as part of the operation.
“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.”
ICE has these detainees in their custody, and is moving forward with the deportation process.
You can see Moore’s full statement below:
“Public safety is my top priority, and Marylanders know I have neither patience nor tolerance for violent criminals. When federal law enforcement takes violent offenders off our streets and lawfully removes them from our country, that makes our communities safer. Maryland will continue working with our federal partners to do exactly that.
“But ICE’s own numbers tell a very different story. According to them, a mere fraction of the more than 1,300 people they arrested in the past two weeks had ever been convicted of or charged with any crimes. We’ve seen frightening footage of older women being taken from their apartment buildings, workers chased in residential neighborhoods, parents separated from American children – and we are deeply concerned by reports that an individual suffered a broken neck during an ICE arrest.
“These actions also undermine our economy. I’ve heard firsthand from business leaders across the State that these immigration policies are taking legal workers out of our nursing homes, scaring farmworkers from showing up to work, and making the cost of everything from groceries to delivery services higher.
“Deploying untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable agents to sweep through our communities and spread fear is not a public safety strategy. It undermines trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, and it does not make us safer.
“We do not have to choose between holding violent offenders accountable and protecting the constitutional rights and basic dignity of our neighbors. In Maryland, we will continue to do both.”
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