Only on Wednesday, we reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), working with Florida law enforcement, have taken 150 illegal aliens off the street, many of them criminals and sex offenders.
Update: That number is now up to more than 230.
Operation Criminal Return launched on Oct. 25 and resulted in the arrests of 230 criminal illegal immigrants, including those who are registered sex offenders and have extensive criminal histories, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.
"This operation underscores President Trump and Secretary Noem’s determination to target and remove dangerous criminal alien predators from the United States," said ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan. "Sanctuary cities that shield these criminals from accountability undermine the rule of law and jeopardize the safety of their residents."
The operation, also dubbed Operation Dirtbag, targeted child predators, rapists, and violent criminal illegal immigrants with convictions that range from sexual assault of minors, rape, lewd and lascivious conduct, and child exploitation to battery and attempted homicide, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release.
ICE Deputy Director Madison D. Sheahan spoke to the press on the progress of "Operation Dirtbag" to date.
.@ICEDeputy Madison Sheahan: “In just 10 days, we’ve been able to remove, in partnership with the state of Florida, over 230 of the worst of the worst, heinous criminals from their streets.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Pxa0uVESCh
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 13, 2025
Deputy Director Sheahan said:
In just ten days, we've been able to remove, in partnership with the state of Florida, over 230 of the worst of the worst heinous criminals from their streets. Our job as law enforcement is to protect the most vulnerable. Democrats will tell you that that is the criminal illegal aliens who they have let run free in our communities. But not this group of law enforcement. We know that it's the children that it is our job to protect. These men and women put their lives on the line every single day to protect the children of their communities, and protect the American people, and put them first. And that's just what we've done. These heinous criminals have gone and attacked children at their most vulnerable state, and law enforcement has stepped up to the plate to remove them from the communities. Over the last 10 days, we have removed 54 sexual predators. 164 offenders of sexual crimes. Two convicted murderers. One convicted of drug trafficking and eight other heinous felonies.
These people should be applauded for this work, but don't expect any plaudits from the left.
Read More: Noem's Operation Dirtbag: Illegal Alien Offenders Off Streets, Kids Now Safer
New: Judge Signals He'll Order Release of Hundreds of Captured Illegal Aliens
And, yes, this work should continue as it has been carried out to date: Remove the criminals, remove the worst first, but don't stop there. Every person who has entered the United States illegally should be repatriated. If they choose to leave, great, hand them their promised $1,000 check and their plane ticket; it's a lot cheaper than arresting, confining, and deporting them. If they don't choose to leave, detain them, process them, and get them out.
It's too big a job to finish during this second Trump administration. But this has to be done, nonetheless, if we are still truly a nation of laws. That makes the next couple of elections all the more important.
You may view the DHS press release, with some details of some of the goblins captured, here.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left's lies, new legislation wasn't needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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