US federal agents have arrested around 150 illegal immigrants who have committed sex crimes, the DHS chief said. The raids were part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on unlawful immigration. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it has arrested around 15,000 immigrants convicted with sex crimes as part of a large-scale sweep in Florida. The series of raids, codenamed Operation Dirtbag, led to the arrest of more than 230 ‘criminal illegal aliens,’ the DHS said in a statement on Thursday. The ‘sex predators’ slated for deportation include citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, and Ukraine, officials said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said, ‘Some of the charges include sexual assault, battery, attempted homicide,’ and added, ‘Our kids will be safer. This partnership with Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida is a model we want to replicate across the country,’ she added. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on X that the sweep lasted 10 days. ‘These were people that under the Biden administration, they were allowed to just roam with no threat of serious deportation. The times have changed,’ he said.
Soon after returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump initiated a crackdown on illegal immigration, vowing to carry out the largest deportation in US history. The president and Republicans have accused his predecessor Joe Biden of pursuing open border policies that allowed violent criminals to enter the country and hide from law enforcement. Trump has tasked heavily armed federal agents with conducting immigration raids, some of which were widely publicized on social media, sparking protests and riots outside detention centers. Democrats have accused Trump of human rights violations and targeting immigrants without a violent history.