ICE launches ‘largest immigration operation ever’ in Minneapolis, acting director says

Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons said Tuesday the agency is carrying out the “largest immigration operation ever” in Minneapolis that has already nabbed a suspected murderer and accused sexual predator.

Lyons said that Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, has surged to Minneapolis to target fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal illegal aliens. It comes amid the massive welfare fraud scandal that continues to unfold in the state. 

“We have the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now. It is a great effort by ICE,” Lyons said in a video interview posted by DHS to X.

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Lyons said Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigations.

“They’re on the ground… been going door-to-door to a lot of these suspected companies that are not only hiring illegal aliens that shouldn’t even be in the country, but also being involved with potential human smuggling, human trafficking cases, but also look at these fraud cases as well,” Lyons said. 

Lyons praised Noem for her leadership, which led to the capture of dangerous criminals. 

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“[Noem] ran an awesome, successful operation. Got a suspected murderer and a wanted rapist that was hiding again in plain sight in Minneapolis,” Lyons said. “They’re up there in the fight to these sanctuary jurisdictions that allow these criminal, illegal aliens to roam the streets and take advantage of the public assistance that should be there for every taxpaying American.”

DHS also posted a video showing armed federal agents arresting Tomas Espin Tapia, an Ecuadorian illegal alien who they say is wanted for murder and sexual assault and has a conviction for robbery. 

“To the criminals living among us, you are NOT our neighbors. Leave now or we will find you,” DHS wrote.

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Lyons also said the state’s sanctuary policies are a draw for illegal migrants.

“Sanctuary protections do attract other illegal aliens to come there to take advantage of welfare, public assistance, SNAP benefits,” Lyons said. “And that’s just a magnet that brings that criminal element that can hide in plain sight. And that’s what we’re finding up in Minnesota.”