Citing figures from ICE, White House says 538 arrests and 373 detainers made across multiple cities, targeting individuals with criminal convictions
US immigration agents arrested more than 500 undocumented migrants Thursday wanted for various crimes across the country, according to the White House.
Citing figures from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the White House announced on X that 538 arrests and 373 detainers were made in several US cities.
It said that on Thursday, ICE's Buffalo office in New York arrested Luis Alberto Espinoza-Boconsaca, who has been convicted of rape, and Pedro Julio Mejia, who it said has been convicted of sexual conduct against a child.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, ICE officers arrested Cristofer Alexander Ramirez-Olivia, convicted of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, and in Denver, Colorado, the immigration officers arrested Magdaleno Zenen Hernandez Garcia, who has been convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child aged 14 or younger.
"This is merely a small preview into the work the Trump administration is doing to secure our nation's borders," said the White House.
According to US media, raids against illegal immigrants with alleged crime accusations occurred in multiple cities including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Newark and Miami.
The raids in Newark, New Jersey prompted a backlash from the city's mayor, Ras Baraka, who slammed the ICE officers for their raid on a local business.
“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” Baraka said in a statement.
The raids came two days after President Donald Trump's administration allowed ICE officers to make arrests in churches and schools where migrants might be sheltering.
