ICE Reveals “Worst of the Worst” Criminal Offenders Arrested in Minnesota Sweep

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have released details of a recent enforcement operation in Minnesota, highlighting what they describe as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders who were living freely in the sanctuary state despite having serious criminal convictions and, in many cases, longstanding deportation orders.

The operation has drawn national attention amid heightened tensions between federal immigration authorities and local officials in Minnesota, where protests have erupted following ICE enforcement actions.

“Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere,” ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “Some of these criminal aliens have had final orders of removal for 30 years, but they’ve been free to terrorize Minnesotans.”

According to ICE, the individuals arrested had been roaming freely in Minnesota prior to their apprehension. Lyons criticized local politicians, suggesting they are more focused on “drumming up discontent rather than protecting their own constituents.”

The operation led to the arrest of numerous individuals with convictions for sexual assault, homicide, and other violent crimes. Among those detained were at least 11 individuals convicted of homicide offenses and multiple others convicted of sexual crimes against children.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to news of the arrests on social media, writing: “This is why we have ICE Agents. May God Bless them for their thankless work to protect American communities from these sick people.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also posted an image of a plane on social media with the caption: “Lawbreakers going wheels up in Minneapolis,” suggesting deportations were already underway.

The list of those arrested includes several individuals with particularly troubling criminal histories:

Sriudorn Phaivan, a Laotian national with a deportation order dating back to 2018, was convicted of multiple sexual offenses including sodomy of minors, along with numerous property crimes and fraud.

Tou Vang, also from Laos, was convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under 13 years old and procuring a child for prostitution. His deportation order has been in place since 2006.

Chong Vue, another Laotian national, was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl and kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her. He has had a deportation order since 2004.

Several of those arrested had homicide convictions, including Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, a Salvadoran national convicted of three counts of homicide, and Thai Lor from Laos, who was convicted of two counts of homicide and has had a deportation order since 2009.

The enforcement action comes amid ongoing national debate about immigration enforcement policies and sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Minnesota’s status as a sanctuary state has been a point of contention, with critics arguing such policies enable dangerous offenders to remain in communities despite their criminal histories and deportation orders.

The operation also follows a controversial incident in Minneapolis where protests broke out after an ICE enforcement action resulted in a fatal shooting, further inflaming tensions between immigration enforcement advocates and those who oppose such operations.

ICE officials emphasized that many of the individuals arrested had evaded deportation for years despite final removal orders, with some orders dating back as far as the 1990s. The agency maintains that these enforcement actions are targeted specifically at individuals with serious criminal convictions who pose public safety risks.

Law enforcement agencies continue to debate the most effective approaches to immigration enforcement, with sanctuary jurisdictions arguing that limiting cooperation with ICE encourages immigrant communities to report crimes without fear, while federal authorities maintain that such policies ultimately shield dangerous offenders from deportation.