Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Operation Criminal Return in Florida led to more than 150 arrests of immigrants in the U.S. illegally who were identified as sex offenders.
- Officials reported over 230 total arrests in the operation for offenses that included drug crimes and murder, according to DHS.
- DHS said many of those detained had prior convictions for child molestation and sexual assault, and the targets included child sex offenders accused of battery and attempted homicide.
- Noem credited a federal–state partnership with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the results and described the effort publicly as “Operation Dirtbag.”
- DHS said it is surging resources to additional jurisdictions, naming Chicago, where a DHS official cited declines in homicides, shootings and robberies since a prior enforcement push.