189 Illegal Immigrants Arrested in DC Immigration Crackdown

Suspected gang members were among those apprehended during the four-day operation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working with law enforcement partners arrest criminal alien offenders in and around Washington in May 2025. ICE

Federal officials arrested 189 illegal immigrants in the District of Columbia last week as part of a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation targeting alleged criminals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 13.

The four-day operation ran from May 6–9 and is part of a wider effort by President Donald Trump to maintain order and safety in the nation’s capital.

In March, Trump issued the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order, which directed federal agencies to work together to reduce crime and bolster public safety in the area.

The crackdown was conducted by the ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations directorates in conjunction with the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, among others.

In a statement, ICE said members of transnational criminal organizations such as the notorious MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gangs, which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, were among those arrested.

Suspected members of the violent 18th Street gang were also detained, ICE said.

At least four of the individuals apprehended also had lengthy criminal histories, according to a separate statement from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

They include charges for drug possession, illegal reentry, aggravated assault, trespassing, disorderly conduct, sexual assault, threat to kidnap, threats to bodily harm, driving while intoxicated, brandishing a machete, misdemeanor larceny, misdemeanor indecent exposure, theft, and possession of a prohibited weapon (knife).

The DOJ said at least one of the four men with lengthy criminal histories—a 47-year-old illegally present Guatemalan alien—also had “numerous gang-affiliated tattoos on his arms, legs, and chest.”

ICE said many of the apprehensions were made after local jurisdictions “refused to honor immigration detainers” and “released the alien offenders back into their communities.”

Businesses Served Notices of Inspection

In addition to targeting alleged criminal alien offenders, ICE also served 187 notices of inspection to local businesses during the four-day operation to ensure they are complying with immigration and employment laws.

“The District of Columbia is exponentially safer today because of countless hours of investigative work and dedication to duty displayed by ICE Washington, D.C. and our law enforcement partners,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russell Hott in a statement.

As well as directing cleanup and “beautification” efforts in the District of Columbia in his March executive order, Trump established the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which consists of representatives from agencies including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Department of Transportation.

According to the order, the task force may request operational assistance from local law enforcement, including the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD), to enforce federal immigration law and apprehend and deport illegal immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The DOJ and ICE did state whether the MPF took part in the four-day immigration enforcement operation.

“Thanks to president Trump’s leadership and this administration’s focus on law and order, these arrests represent a major step forward in making Washington, D.C., safer for legal citizens and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr in a statement.

“These arrests make clear that violating our nation’s immigration laws will not be ignored.”

The Epoch Times has contacted MPD for comment.