On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the largest anti-gang operation ever undertaken in the US. The operation ran for up to six weeks, with more than 1300 people arrested across the country. Immigrants were not the focus of the operation, despite it being led by ICE.
Of those arrested, 384 were undocumented immigrants, with a further 445 being foreign nationals, in the US legally. But the majority – 933 – were people who have US citizenship. Of the individuals arrested, Immigration and Customs Enforcement say that three had been prior recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was set up via executive order by President Barack Obama, in 2012. DACA status can be made void if someone is deemed to be a threat to public safety or commits criminal violations.
Ten people had also illegally crossed the border before, as undocumented immigrant minors. Eight of these are now part of the criminal gang known as MS-13. The gang is strong in Central America but has also extended its criminal enterprise throughout the US, into cities such as Los Angeles and New York.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 1095 of those arrested were criminal gang members or affiliates. The Trump administration has increased its focus on MS-13 through its efforts to increase immigration enforcement laws and tighten border security. Most of the arrests took place in the areas of Houston, Atlanta, New Jersey, and New York.