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 150 immigrants convicted with sex crimes as part of a large-scale sweep in Florida.
The action, 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.
“Some of the charges include sexual assault, battery, attempted homicide,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said. “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 for 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.
After returning to the White House in January, 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.
READ MORE: US eyeing ‘mega centers’ for immigrant deportations – NBC
Trump has tasked heavily armed federal agents to conduct 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 violent history.
