14 DC Immigrants Arrested In Massive Nationwide ICE Raid Against Sanctuary Cities

WASHINGTON, DC -- It's official: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has declared war on sanctuary cities nationwide, conducting a massive raid that netted nearly 500 arrests -- including 14 here in the District.

In a Thursday statement, ICE slammed sanctuary cities by name, criticizing them for harboring and protecting immigrants who they described as dangerous criminals. Called "Operation Safe City," the raid resulted in the rest of 498 individuals from 42 countries for federal immigration violations.

Of that total, 14 immigrants were grabbed in D.C., including "a citizen of El Salvador who entered the country illegally and who has previous convictions for possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition," the statement reads.

The statement continued to criticize policies by sanctuary cities, who refuse to cooperate with ICE to kick out immigrants.

“Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration,” said ICE Acting Director Tom Homan in the statement. “As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser hasn't yet commented on the arrests or the ICE statement. On Wednesday, she announced that the D.C. government would provide an Immigrant Justice Legal Services (IJLS) grant funding to 10 organizations that help law firms and community-based organizations provide assistance to immigrants fearful of being targeted by the federal government.

Image via ICE