U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that a recent enforcement operation across Georgia resulted in the arrests of more than 1,200 people for alleged violations of federal immigration laws.
The operation, dubbed Operation Safe Community, was conducted by several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Of the 1,226 individuals arrested during the operation for alleged immigration violations, 720 had either been convicted of or charged with crimes in the United States such as homicide, assault, domestic violence, drug trafficking, sexual offenses, weapons violations, and gang-related activity.
ICE noted that federal agents arrested five illegal immigrants at a trucking company that the agency said was known for employing unauthorized workers.
The agency also said the arrests include those who had previously been deported and were accused of illegally reentering the United States, along with others who had outstanding final orders of removal.
According to ICE, the initiative focused on locating individuals the agency identified as public safety or national security threats, as well as people accused of violating U.S. immigration laws.
In announcing the results, ICE officials said the operation reflects the agency's continued efforts to enforce federal immigration laws and remove individuals it considers threats to public safety.
“Make no mistake, every one of the illegal alien offenders apprehended during this operation was in violation of U.S. immigration law, but more than 700 of the aliens we arrested also have criminal histories in the United States. Removing these criminal alien offenders from Georgia neighborhoods makes for much safer communities, and that is exactly what the men and women of ICE work to accomplish every day across our great nation,” Hyde added.
Supporters have argued that such large-scale immigration enforcement operations improve public safety by targeting individuals with serious criminal histories. Meanwhile, critics have expressed concerns about due process, the impact on immigrant communities, and the potential for individuals without violent criminal records to be detained during broad enforcement operations.
ICE, under the Trump administration, said it will continue conducting enforcement operations as part of its mission to enforce U.S. immigration laws and remove individuals who are unlawfully present in the country and who the agency says pose a threat to public safety.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has launched an aggressive, nationwide campaign at curbing illegal immigration and protecting national security.