ta as part of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiative known as Operation Metro Surge, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Friday, per The Epoch Times.
According to DHS, the operation focused on individuals with serious criminal records. The agency said the enforcement effort targeted people it described as posing significant public safety risks.
The arrests took place amid broader debate over so-called sanctuary policies, which refer to state or local practices that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Minnesota is considered a sanctuary jurisdiction under the criteria outlined by the Department of Justice in an Aug. 5 statement.
DHS said those arrested included a Burmese national convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving force or coercion, a Somali national convicted of robbery, a Laotian national convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child under 13, and an Ecuadorian national previously arrested for assaulting a police officer.
In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both of whom have opposed ICE enforcement actions, saying their positions have failed to adequately protect residents of the state.
“They let these monsters and child predators roam free,” McLaughlin said. “Thanks to our brave law enforcement, Minnesota is safer with these thugs off their streets.”
The arrests come as immigration enforcement officers continue to face a surge in attacks nationwide.
On Dec. 12, DHS said an ICE officer was attacked by a criminal illegal immigrant in Tullos, Louisiana, who “savagely bit the officer’s hand while resisting arrest.”
