DHS reports 1,328 arrests in two-week ICE operation in Maryland and Virginia

A two-week federal immigration enforcement initiative conducted across Maryland and Virginia resulted in the arrest of 1,328 individuals between August 1 and August 14.

According to press statements released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), “Operation Safe Community – Washington, D.C.” focused primarily on the Washington suburbs, with targeted enforcement actions occurring statewide.

Figures published by DHS show that of the 1,328 individuals taken into custody, nearly 400 had prior U.S. criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Over 900 of those arrested had no U.S. criminal convictions or pending charges noted in the release.

Detainees included suspected members of transnational street gangs, including MS-13, the 18th Street Gang, and Tren de Aragua.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlined the federal scope of the operation.

“Over the course of just two weeks in Virginia and Maryland, they arrested sexual assailants, kidnappers, drunk drivers, robbers, and gang members,” Mullin said.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said officers are out in the streets arresting and removing criminal aliens.

“Removing these criminal alien offenders from Virginia and Maryland neighborhoods makes for much safer communities,” Hyde stated in the release.

Responses from state officials

Maryland officials responded with contrasting perspectives regarding federal enforcement tactics and sanctuary policies.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore criticized the execution of the operation, saying “deploying untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable agents to sweep through our communities and spread fear is not a public safety strategy”.

“It undermines trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, and it does not make us safer,” Moore said.

Moore added that when federal law enforcement takes violent offenders off the streets through lawful methods and removes them from the country, “that makes our communities safer. Maryland will continue working with our federal partners to do exactly that”.

U.S. Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) supported the enforcement actions.

“This is what enforcing our immigration laws looks like,” Harris said. “ICE is removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens while Governor Moore continues to stand by sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities and put Maryland communities at risk”.

Montgomery County maintains policies that restrict local police from detaining individuals solely on federal civil immigration detainers without a judicial warrant. County officials also launched an online reporting portal designed to track ICE activity across the county.

Federal officials noted in the release that agents executed the 1,328 arrests despite local restrictions on federal-local cooperation.