Immigration enforcement officials lauded the success of an operation in Florida that resulted in the arrests and deportation of more than 230 people in 10 days — and they made it clear they will not make exceptions for Venezuelans who recently lost their legal status.
Madison Sheahan, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputy director, said during the conference at an ICE facility in Miramar on Thursday that the majority of the deported migrants committed sexual crimes, and some were convicted of other felonies.
Officials said that "Operation Dirtbag," a joint effort with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, led to the arrest of: 54 sexual predators, 164 offenders of sexual crimes, two convicted murderers, one person convicted of drug trafficking and eight convicted of other felonies.
"We've been able to set the tone for the nation of removing the worst of the worst," Sheahan said. "We've been able to partner in a way that we're able to model for the rest of the country, and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity that we have to stand together as law enforcement to be able to protect the American people."
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When asked if Venezuelan migrants would become a priority now that many of them are undocumented, Sheahan reiterated that they will continue to target anyone who's in the country illegally. More than 600,000 Venezuelans lost their Temporary Protected Status since President Trump took office — many of them just last week.
" Whether you have a final order or we come across you in our 287(g) efforts," she said. "But our job is to keep the community safe, the men and women of ICE, as well as Florida – if we come across somebody that's illegal, we will put them through immigration proceedings and ultimately be removed from this country."
Sheahan also commended the 287(g) agreements with law enforcement agencies across the state. That federal program allows local police officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement functions and all 67 counties in Florida have entered into these agreements with ICE.
Approximately 350,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. lost their TPS last month. Last week, an additional 250,000 people also lost their protected status. Florida is the state that is home to the largest community of Venezuelans in the country.
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