Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested several people accused of violent crimes during recent enforcement actions, according to a statement Wednesday from Lauren Bis, deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Bis said ICE officers detained people accused of attempted murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and assault during operations carried out Tuesday. One of those arrested allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman, she said.
"These are the types of monsters our officers are arresting and removing from American neighborhoods," Bis said in the statement.
The arrests were not tied to a single publicly identified operation, and federal officials did not immediately release the names of those detained or the locations where the arrests occurred. ICE frequently conducts targeted enforcement operations focused on noncitizens with criminal records or pending criminal charges.
Bis defended the agency's enforcement role amid ongoing political disputes over immigration policy and the cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local governments.
"While sanctuary politicians demonize ICE law enforcement, our officers continue to risk their lives to remove criminals from our communities," she said.
Sanctuary policies, adopted in a number of cities and states, typically limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Supporters argue the policies help build trust between immigrant communities and police, while critics say they can hinder federal efforts to detain people accused of crimes.
Immigration enforcement has remained a central focus of the Trump administration's domestic policy agenda, with officials emphasizing arrests of noncitizens accused or convicted of serious offenses.
Bis also pointed to national crime statistics in defending the administration's policies.
"Under President [Donald] Trump, the murder rate has reached a 125-year low," she said.
Crime data in the United States is compiled through several federal systems, including the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mortality statistics.
Analysts often caution that long-term comparisons can depend on which dataset is used and how reporting methods have changed over time.
Advocates for stricter immigration enforcement argue that removing individuals accused of violent crimes improves public safety and protects communities.
Immigrant advocacy groups, however, have criticized ICE operations, saying the agency's rhetoric can stigmatize immigrant populations and that enforcement actions can lead to family separations and community fear.
ICE officials say their enforcement priorities focus on public safety threats and individuals accused of serious criminal activity.
Bis said the arrests highlighted the agency's mission.
"Our officers continue working every day to protect the American people," she said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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