U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 189 illegal immigrants in the D.C. area last week and served inspection notices on 187 businesses to determine if they have been employing unauthorized workers.
ICE said it went after migrants with criminal records and focused on those associated with gangs active in the area, including MS-13, 18th Street and Tren de Aragua.
“Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in the city of Washington, D.C.,” said Russell Hott, director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations’ Washington field office.
He said the city “is exponentially safer today” because of the operation.
“Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid,” he said.
ICE said some of the targets for the May 6-9 operation had been in custody of local authorities but were released under sanctuary-style policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Among those arrested was a 47-year-old Guatemalan man whose criminal record includes drugs, aggravated assault, sexual assault and illegal reentry after a deportation. He also has pending charges for drugs, assault with a dangerous weapon, sex abuse and lewd acts. And he has what ICE described as “numerous gang-affiliated tattoos” on his body.
ICE also highlighted the arrest of a 36-year-old Mexican man whose record includes indecent exposure, theft and weapons offenses, plus a 25-year-old Guatemalan man whose charges include threat to kidnap and assault along with a weapons offense.
“These arrests make clear that violating our nation’s immigration laws will not be ignored,” said Edward R. Martin Jr., the U.S. attorney in Washington.
The operation included ERO, which is ICE’s deportation force, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, which is ICE’s detective force. The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Virginia Department of Corrections and multiple law enforcement agencies in the federal Justice Department also helped.
The Trump administration has deputized a wide range of federal agents and officers to assist ICE in scouring communities to arrest priority illegal immigrants.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is a key partner in the United States’ work to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system,” said David Richeson, special agent in charge of DSS’ Washington field office.
While the 189 arrests are likely to get attention, the worksite enforcement notices are just as crucial to the Trump administration. If businesses are afraid to hire unauthorized workers, it can dry up the supply of jobs and could push migrants to self-deport — a major focus of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Once the notice of inspection is served, businesses must turn over their I-9 forms showing they have obtained required work documents from their employees. ICE then pursues any violations and can pursue warnings, fines or criminal charges.
The first Trump administration ramped up I-9 audits, going to 6,450 nationwide in fiscal 2019 before cratering during the pandemic year of 2020.
The Biden administration did not emphasize I-9 audits.
