Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said Tuesday the agency is carrying out the “largest immigration operation ever” in Minneapolis that has already nabbed a murderer and a wanted rapist.
Lyons said that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement, 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 unfolding 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.
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 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. And that’s just a magnet that brings that criminal element that can hide in plain sight. And that’s we’re finding up in Minnesota.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
