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More than 17,500 illegal immigrants have been arrested this year for crimes requiring mandatory detention under the Laken Riley Act, the first law signed by President Donald Trump in his second term, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.
The legislation bears the name of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student who was allegedly murdered by a Venezuelan immigrant with ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. The suspect had been previously arrested and released before Riley’s death, highlighting concerns about gaps in immigration enforcement.
Under the act, illegal immigrants arrested—not necessarily convicted—for specific crimes must be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing and potential deportation. Qualifying offenses include theft, driving under the influence, murder, rape, sexual abuse, assault on police officers, and firearms violations.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday the conclusion of “Operation Angel’s Honor,” a two-week nationwide initiative specifically targeting Laken Riley Act offenders. The operation resulted in approximately 1,000 arrests, averaging dozens of apprehensions daily.
“In honor of Laken Riley, ICE launched Operation Angel’s Honor—in the last two weeks alone arresting more than 1,000 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act,” Noem told Fox News Digital. She credited President Trump for empowering DHS to pursue what she described as millions of criminal illegal immigrants living in the United States, including those “unleashed” into the country by previous administrations.
“We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice,” Noem added.
The operation yielded several high-profile arrests. Among those detained was Sergio Luis Hernandez Gonzalez from Cuba, who had been convicted on 17 counts of larceny and two counts of selling cocaine, along with vehicle theft and additional offenses.
Other notable arrests included Colombian national Jersson Andrey Poveda Delgado, convicted of assaulting a police officer; Dominican citizen Yaser Garcia Ramirez, charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, domestic violence, and obstructing law enforcement; and Guatemalan national Santos Chim-Diego, convicted of resisting and assaulting an officer, DUI, and child cruelty.
The operation also apprehended Iraqi national Hamid Abdulimam Al Nassar, convicted of procuring an underage prostitute, drug offenses, fraud, embezzlement, and aggravated assault. Jamaican Nathaniel Sterling was detained following convictions for carnal abuse, weapons possession, and disorderly conduct. Additionally, Mexican national Omar Barojas-Arenas was arrested after a kidnapping conviction, and Venezuelan Jorby Joel Escuraina-Suarez was taken into custody following a conviction for aggravated assault with a weapon.
While the Department of Homeland Security has touted the Laken Riley Act’s implementation as successful, critics have raised concerns about its scope and implications. Some argue that the law’s reliance on arrests rather than convictions as a basis for federal custody could potentially affect individuals who pose no significant safety risks.
“This bill does nothing to improve safety or fix our broken immigration system,” said Nayna Gupta, policy director for the American Immigration Council, in a statement following the law’s passage. “Under the guise of preventing violence, the bill forces immigration officers to indefinitely detain and deport non-citizens who pose no public safety risk, without access to basic due process.”
Gupta further contended that the legislation “gives state attorneys general unprecedented power over immigration policy” and “strips people of their basic rights and upends how the U.S. government enforces immigration law.”
The implementation of the Laken Riley Act represents one of the Trump administration’s most significant early actions on immigration enforcement, reflecting campaign promises to take a harder stance on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The operation’s results underscore the administration’s prioritization of immigration enforcement as a cornerstone of its domestic policy agenda.
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10 Comments
The statistics provided give a high-level view, but I’d be interested in more granular details – such as the specific crimes committed, the outcomes of the arrests, and demographic breakdowns of those apprehended.
Transparency around the implementation and impacts of this law will be crucial for assessing its effectiveness and fairness.
Interesting to see the enforcement numbers under this new immigration law. While enforcement is important, I hope the policy is implemented fairly and with due process to protect innocent lives as well.
Agreed, the details on how this law is being applied will be crucial. We need to balance public safety with upholding civil liberties.
1,000 arrests in a two-week operation is a significant number. I wonder what the overall trends in immigration enforcement have been since the act was passed.
Good point. Tracking the full scope and effects of this law over time will be important to assess its real-world impacts.
The Laken Riley Act seems to be a controversial measure – I’d be curious to see analysis from legal experts and immigrant advocates on its potential impacts, both positive and negative.
A balanced perspective is important here. Reasonable people can disagree on the merits and implementation of this type of legislation.
While public safety is a valid concern, I hope the Laken Riley Act is not being used to unfairly target or profile certain immigrant communities. Nuance and fairness should guide its application.
Agreed, the potential for abuse or disproportionate impact on minority groups is a serious risk that needs close monitoring.