The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flexes its muscle in the heart of a deep-blue stronghold, rounding up over 10,000 unauthorized migrants in Los Angeles since June, as Fox News reports.
This sweeping operation, launched in early summer 2025, has snagged individuals convicted of heinous crimes like murder, kidnapping, and sexual predation, despite fierce resistance from violent protests and sanctuary politicians.
Starting in June, DHS kicked off what they call a resounding "success," targeting those with serious criminal records in a city known for its sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
But the road hasn’t been smooth -- violent anti-ICE demonstrations erupted, with rioters hurling rocks, wielding Molotov cocktails, and clashing with law enforcement in a bid to halt arrests.
The worst of these riots flared in June, as mobs blocked streets, vandalized businesses, and prompted a massive federal response to restore order.
Despite the chaos, arrests forged ahead, netting dangerous individuals like Juan Carlos Tamayo, a Mexican national convicted of homicide and attempted murder.
Another was Yonic Telles-Sosa, previously removed from the U.S. five times, with convictions for robbery and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Others apprehended include Rene Reyes-Miranda, a Cuban national with a rap sheet including a sex offense against a child, and Alireza Hashemi, an Iranian national convicted of rape and aggravated assault.
Two Armenian nationals, Ambartsoum Pogosium and Akop Jack Kantrozyan, were also detained, with convictions ranging from kidnapping and homicide to identity theft and shooting at inhabited dwellings.
These arrests paint a stark picture of the kind of threats DHS claims to be neutralizing, even as California’s sanctuary laws and leaders stand in opposition.
Democrat heavyweights like Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have been vocal critics, accusing federal agents of overreach and societal disruption.
"The reality is that their obsession with mass arrests, detention and deportations is spurring indiscriminate and racially-motivated immigration raids with serious societal and economic consequences," said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, spokesperson for Governor Newsom.
Yet, one might wonder if shielding communities from convicted murderers and predators isn’t the real public safety priority, rather than crafting headlines about supposed federal cruelty.
On the other side, DHS isn’t backing down, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin declaring, "In the face of violence from rioters and demonization by sanctuary politicians, DHS law enforcement has made over 10,000 arrests in Los Angeles since operations began in June."
California’s legislature, under Newsom’s pen, has even passed measures to curb federal immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals, a move that critics argue hampers efforts to target genuine threats.
