ICE Arrests Record Number of Illegal Immigrants in Texas Operation
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday that its Harlingen, Texas, field office, in collaboration with local law enforcement, apprehended 238 undocumented immigrants during a single-day operation. This effort has set a new record for targeted arrests in the Rio Grande Valley.
According to ICE, this operation represented the highest number of targeted arrests in one day for forced removals in Harlingen.
The operation, which took place on June 18, led to the arrests of individuals with serious criminal convictions, including attempted kidnapping, sexual assault, and drug possession.
Juan Agudelo, the director of the ICE Harlingen Field Office, stated, “ICE’s mission remains focused on strengthening public safety and restoring the integrity of our nation’s immigration system.” He emphasized their commitment to safety by stating, “We will stop at nothing to keep American communities safe by removing criminal illegal aliens one person at a time.”
This crackdown aligns with the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to address illegal immigration and prioritize the removal of criminal undocumented individuals from communities nationwide.
Among those apprehended was Manuel Morales Geronimo, a Mexican national and identified member of the Paisas gang. Morales Geronimo has a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions for assault resulting in death, drug possession, and multiple counts of unlawful re-entry into the U.S.
Jose Alfredo Castillo Mendoza, another Mexican national, was also arrested during this operation. He previously faced convictions for attempted kidnapping, sexual assault, and illegal reentry.
The announcement coincided with President Donald Trump’s response to a reported move by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pause many ICE traffic stops, which he called “one of ICE’s most important and effective crime-fighting tools.” The proposed changes came amid concerns over recent fatal traffic incidents involving immigration enforcement.
In a social media post, Trump expressed, “We cannot abandon one of ICE’s most important and effective crime-fighting tools: traffic stops!” He warned that the DHS policy shift “will have a direct impact on the status of criminals.”
