Amid nationwide protests against their enforcement of U.S. laws, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested more "worst of the worst" criminal illegal migrants over the weekend, Newsmax has learned.
The Department of Homeland Security informed Newsmax on Monday that ICE said its officers made arrests around the country of illegal aliens previously convicted of serious crimes ranging from murder to child sex offenses and violent assaults.
The agency highlighted arrests, including of Nelson Ayala-Gomez, an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of murder in Harris County, Texas; Alfredo Murillo-Fernandez, an illegal from Mexico convicted on four counts of indecent liberties with a child in Union County, North Carolina; and Diego Cardona, a migrant from Guatemala identified as an 18th Street gang member convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Los Angeles.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the arrests came even as officers face a sharp rise in threats and attacks.
"Even while facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them, ICE continues to risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst," McLaughlin told Newsmax in an email, adding that DHS "will not let agitators slow us down from making America safe again."
Those numbers were also cited in a separate DHS statement blaming "radical rhetoric" and "sanctuary" politics for creating an environment that encourages violence against federal officers.
The weekend arrests unfolded as protests over immigration enforcement spread nationally.
The fatal shooting last week of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent sparked tens of thousands of marchers in Minneapolis and more than 1,000 rallies nationwide, with DHS announcing it would send hundreds more federal officers to Minnesota, citing safety concerns for ICE and Border Patrol personnel.
Supporters of stepped-up enforcement argue the DHS arrest list underscores why ICE operations matter, particularly when targets include convicted murderers, child predators, and gang-linked offenders.
In addition to the headline cases, DHS listed arrests that included an illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of sex abuse of a minor in Montgomery County, Maryland; an illegal from Laos convicted of lewd acts involving a child in San Diego; and a migrant from Afghanistan convicted of assault causing great bodily injury and mayhem in Orange County, California.
DHS also cited arrests of illegal aliens convicted of burglary in Florida, aggravated assault in Utah, robbery in Washington, D.C., identity theft in California, harboring illegal aliens in Texas, and possession of methamphetamine for resale in Tennessee.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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