MIRAMAR, Fla. – Florida officials held a news conference Thursday morning at ICE-ERO Center Miramar to discuss “Operation Dirtbag,” said to have resulted in more than 200 arrests of what ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan dubbed “the worst of the worst” among those illegally in the U.S.
“Over the last 10 days, we have removed 54 sexual predators, 164 offenders of sexual crimes, two convicted murderers, one convicted of drug trafficking, and eight other heinous felonies,” Sheahan said.
Sheahan was joined by State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Anthony Coker, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and others at the event.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was scheduled to speak, but he could not attend due to transportation issues, according to Glass.
Sheahan in her remarks called back to “Operation Tidal Wave,” which occurred some months ago and was among the first of Florida’s major illegal-immigration-enforcement operations in tandem with ICE through sweeping 287(g) agreements.
As President Donald Trump’s second term began, DeSantis pushed law-enforcement agencies and municipalities statewide to sign 287(g) agreements allowing their officers, deputies, agents, troopers or otherwise to be trained and approved by ICE to perform immigration -enforcement duties.
The Florida Highway Patrol was among the first Florida agencies that the governor has said are now able to question anyone about their citizenship status based solely on suspicion. All 67 Florida counties have since signed such agreements pertaining to their sheriff’s offices.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here:
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