The federal government and Florida law enforcement just carried out a no-nonsense operation that hardworking Americans should applaud: ICE, working with state partners, arrested roughly 230 illegal entrants in a sweeping crackdown aimed at violent criminals and sexual predators. This was not a feel-good PR stunt — these were people with dangerous criminal histories who had no business roaming our neighborhoods. The hard truth is that when authorities act decisively, communities become safer and parents can breathe easier.
Officials gave a grim accounting of what was taken off the streets: deputies reported dozens of sexual predators and hundreds of sex-offense convictions among those detained, along with convicted murderers and drug traffickers. ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan laid out the tally — sexual predators, sex offenders, two convicted murderers, and a string of other violent felons — showing this was truly a roundup of the worst of the worst. For any public official who still pines for soft-on-crime policies, this operation should be a wake-up call.
Secretary Kristi Noem bluntly labeled the effort “Operation Dirtbag,” saying these people didn’t just commit crimes — many targeted children — and that they never should have been here in the first place. The operation, which began in late October as a coordinated interior-enforcement push, ran for about ten days and was designed to hunt down repeat offenders hiding in plain sight. That kind of plain-speaking and action is exactly what citizens expect from leaders who put safety first.
Florida’s aggressive posture — including expanded 287(g) partnerships that let local officers work with ICE — made this possible, and state officials deserve credit for giving federal partners the tools they needed. Governor Ron DeSantis and state law-enforcement leaders have repeatedly pushed for tougher interior enforcement, and the results are tangible when cooperation replaces excuses. This is a model of federal-state teamwork that other governors should emulate instead of offering sanctuary to criminals.
Make no mistake: Democrats who worship open borders and sanctuary cities are directly responsible when predators remain free to prey on our children. Conservative leaders who focus on law and order are delivering the kind of real-world results that protect families, not the talking points of career politicians who bow to activist groups. If Republicans expand bold enforcement like this, we can and will reclaim safety in countless communities.
This Florida sweep is exactly the kind of operation President Trump’s team and DHS officials have touted as scalable — the same tough approach that produced measurable crime reductions in other deployments is now being rolled out where it’s needed. If Washington has any interest in actually defending American citizens rather than performing virtue-signaling stunts, it will fund and expand these interior-enforcement efforts now. The safety of our children and the peace of our neighborhoods cannot wait for political theater.
Law enforcement officers put themselves on the line to take these monsters off the streets, and the public should stand behind them instead of defunding or demonizing them. Ordinary Americans want secure borders and accountability for violent criminals, not endless lectures about compassion that come at the cost of safety. If we keep backing bold enforcement and hold leaders accountable, we’ll keep our families safer and restore the rule of law this country was founded on.
