WASHINGTON, DC – Federal immigration authorities announced the completion of Operation Angel’s Honor, a two-week nationwide enforcement campaign that resulted in the arrests of more than 1,000 noncitizens with prior criminal histories. The operation was named in memory of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student whose killing prompted the passage of the Laken Riley Act, which authorizes federal immigration arrests of individuals accused or convicted of certain violent crimes.
ICE officials said the coordinated operation, conducted under the direction of Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, targeted individuals with serious criminal records, including offenses such as sexual assault, aggravated battery, armed robbery, and child exploitation. Those arrested are now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings or deportation orders.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Director Todd Lyons said the effort was part of a broader federal mandate to remove offenders posing public-safety risks. “Operation Angel’s Honor was launched to protect communities and ensure that no more Americans fall victim to violent criminal activity,” Lyons said.
Among those arrested were nationals of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, many of whom had previous removal orders. The operation was supported by federal and local law enforcement agencies across multiple states.
ICE stated that sanctuary jurisdictions continue to complicate federal enforcement efforts by declining to honor detainer requests, forcing agents to locate and re-arrest individuals in the field.
Officials described the initiative as one of the largest targeted enforcement actions since the enactment of the Laken Riley Act, emphasizing the agency’s focus on identifying and apprehending repeat offenders.