ICE operation in Florida results in over 230 removals of immigrants

A recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting immigrants led to more than 230 removals across Florida over 10 days, officials announced Thursday.

ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said the joint effort, conducted with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, was dubbed Operation Criminal Return, also referred to as Operation Dirtbag. The operation resulted in the arrests and removals of:

• 54 sexual predators

• 164 offenders of sexual crimes

• 2 convicted murderers

• 1 convicted of drug trafficking

• 8 convicted of other felonies

“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 their communities,” Sheahan said, highlighting the severity of the offenses.

She thanked Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida officials for their commitment to 287(g) agreements, a federal program that allows local law enforcement officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement duties, including questioning, arresting, and detaining individuals suspected of violating immigration laws. All 67 counties in Florida, including Broward and Miami-Dade, have participated in the program.

Sheahan added that federal leadership has prioritized partnerships with local authorities, stating, “President Trump and have made it a priority to let the men and women of ICE go out and do their job… and together we have been able to remove, again, over 230 heinous criminals from their communities.”