The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on May 6 that recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests have involved criminal illegal aliens convicted of serious crimes, including murder, and promoted its “Worst of the Worst” database while addressing cooperation with sanctuary jurisdictions.
The department’s announcement detailed multiple cases, such as the arrest of Jose Luis Mata-Flores, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of murder in Los Angeles, California. The release also noted that nearly 70 percent of ICE arrests involve individuals charged or convicted of crimes in the United States. These efforts are part of ongoing initiatives to publicize enforcement actions and address challenges related to cooperation from some local jurisdictions, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
California state prisons have coordinated with ICE on the transfer of thousands of individuals with serious criminal backgrounds since 2019. Official state data show continued handovers of convicted offenders to federal immigration authorities despite the state’s sanctuary policies. ICE maintains active enforcement operations in the Los Angeles region targeting removable noncitizens with U.S. criminal convictions, according to ICE.
Department reports indicate that approximately 70 percent of ICE arrests involve illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the United States. Agency dashboards track interior enforcement actions by criminal history categories that include assault, drug offenses, DUI, and other convictions as part of broader removal efforts focused on individuals who present public safety concerns, according to ICE.
The Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002 and oversees multiple agencies responsible for border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, and disaster response. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts interior enforcement and removal operations targeting criminal noncitizens. The department maintains public resources such as the “Worst of the Worst” database to inform communities about recent enforcement actions, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
