U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that multiple criminal illegal aliens, including those charged with rape, child exploitation, and murder, were arrested during enforcement operations over the Thanksgiving holiday.
According to the agency, while millions of Americans celebrated Thanksgiving weekend, ICE officers continued targeted enforcement operations nationwide, focusing on removing violent offenders from communities. The arrests included individuals charged or convicted of serious crimes such as rape, child sexual abuse, and homicide. Among them was Balbir Singh, a criminal illegal alien from India convicted of murder in Los Angeles, California. ICE emphasized that such efforts are part of its ongoing public safety mission to identify and deport “the worst of the worst” criminal aliens. Officials also noted that more than 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals either convicted of or charged with crimes in the U.S.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations reported over 142,000 removals and 58,000 arrests of noncitizens with criminal convictions during fiscal year 2024. Of those, nearly 6,000 were convicted sex offenders, and 1,200 were convicted murderers or attempted murderers. Agency data show that criminal aliens accounted for more than two-thirds of total enforcement actions.
Independent analyses from the Center for Immigration Studies indicate that more than 80% of local jurisdictions designated as sanctuary cities declined at least one ICE detainer request in 2024. This led to the release of over 10,000 offenders with criminal records. ICE officials argue that these sanctuary policies increase risks to public safety and force agents to conduct more resource-intensive field arrests rather than controlled jail transfers.
ICE was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., as a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security. Its Enforcement and Removal Operations division identifies, arrests, and removes noncitizens who violate U.S. immigration laws.
