ICE Arrests Gang Members, Child Rapists Amid Democrat Concerns Over Dreamer Targeting

In a heated exchange during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the Department of Homeland Security forcefully countered claims by top Democrats regarding deportation practices under President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, particularly concerning DACA recipients.

The dispute erupted when Illinois Senator Richard Durbin, the longtime sponsor of the DREAM Act, criticized DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over the deportation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program beneficiaries. Durbin specifically demanded an explanation for why ICE had arrested 261 DACA recipients in the past year and deported 86 of them.

“Contrary to what Senators Dick Durbin and Alex Padilla said in Secretary Noem’s Senate hearing today, nearly 70% of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal records,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in an exclusive response to the hearing.

During the contentious session, Durbin highlighted the case of a Mexican man from Northridge, Illinois, who was deported while his daughter was dying of cancer. “Finally, he was returned for a court hearing. His daughter lived to see that hearing where the court said he was treated unfairly by your agency. And she died three days later,” Durbin stated. “Is that really necessary? Was he a violent criminal?”

Secretary Noem responded by emphasizing that DHS is responsible for enforcing laws passed by Congress, particularly when individuals have received final removal orders. “If you don’t like the law, I would suggest you change the law,” Noem told Durbin.

The hearing also featured a contentious exchange with Senator Alex Padilla of California, who expressed concerns about potential ICE or CBP presence at polling locations during the upcoming November election. Noem countered by questioning whether Democrats have plans to facilitate voting by undocumented immigrants.

A key point of contention emerged over statistics, with Durbin claiming 85% of the 400,000 undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE had no violent criminal records beyond immigration violations. Noem disputed this figure, stating it failed to account for several serious crime classifications including drug trafficking, embezzlement, and assault, which would bring the percentage closer to 70%.

To substantiate their position, DHS provided Fox News Digital with details of several recent arrests of undocumented immigrants with serious criminal histories. These included Gasper Florentino, a Mexican national and MS-13 gang member convicted in Virginia of aggravated sexual battery of a minor and rape; Juan Leonardo Alvarado-Gonzalez, a Guatemalan national convicted in Cook County, Illinois, of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child; Yancarlos Marte-Morel, a Dominican Republic national convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Massachusetts; and Vietnamese national Minh Tai Son Tran, arrested following multiple burglary convictions in Virginia.

“Just yesterday, ICE arrested MS-13 gang members, child predators, and drug traffickers,” Bis emphasized. “These are the public safety threats we are removing from American communities every single day.”

The confrontation highlights the deepening divide over immigration policy between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, particularly as enforcement measures intensify. DACA, established under President Obama, has protected approximately 800,000 individuals brought to the United States as children from deportation, allowing them to work legally in the country.

The program has faced multiple legal challenges since its inception, and enforcement practices regarding DACA recipients have become increasingly controversial under the current administration’s broader immigration crackdown. Critics argue that deportations of DACA recipients represent a departure from previous policies that prioritized criminals and recent border crossers.

As the administration continues its enhanced enforcement approach, these tensions are likely to intensify, particularly as the November elections approach and immigration remains a pivotal political issue for both parties.