Even in sanctuary states, and in spite of constant harassment and even violence from activists, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers continue to arrest despicable foreign criminals.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin announced on Monday that the Department of Homeland Security had given him an exclusive statement revealing the extent of their operation in Maryland and Virginia. “ICE has quietly carried out one of its most successful operations in agency history, resulting in the arrests of 1,328 illegal aliens in just a 14-day span in the states of Virginia & Maryland. Nearly 400 of the aliens had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, including a Salvadoran illegal alien wanted by police in Richmond, VA on a murder warrant. (Eygner Wilfredo Huezo-Moran’s mugshot below).”
That is the reality the Democrats never want to admit. They always want to pretend that ICE is abusing and locking up sobbing children or model employees or loving parents, when in fact federal authorities are focusing on the worst criminals.
Melugin added, “Other targets included aliens with rap sheets for attempted murder and rape, as well as convictions for sexual battery, kidnapping, robbery and DWI [driving while intoxicated].”
Per ICE, some of the illegal aliens arrested in this Virginia & Maryland operation have rap sheets for murder, rape of a mentally incapacitated person, attempted murder, and robbery & illegal possession of a gun (MS-13 gang member). https://t.co/N6VOdAvPTB pic.twitter.com/yh5FIgaJLY
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 24, 2026
He also shared videos of illegal aliens trying to run away from or resist arrest from ICE.
I’m told many of the illegal aliens tried to flee from ICE or resisted arrest. Some videos of these arrests are below, courtesy of an ICE source who took part in this massive operation in VA & MD. pic.twitter.com/kYALncQxeS
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 24, 2026
Related: Who Caused a Deadly Crash in Mississippi? You Guessed It: An Illegal Alien.
While Maryland is not officially a sanctuary state, it has numerous sanctuary cities and counties, and Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) signed legislation this year banning local cooperation with ICE. Therefore, it is practically speaking a sanctuary state. Meanwhile, new Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has consistently thwarted ICE whenever possible, even protecting an illegal alien murderer from federal arrest. Spanberger also ordered local police not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Yet such actions are explicitly in violation of federal law. 8 U.S. Code § 1324 penalizes anyone who “conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection” illegal aliens. And 18 U.S.C. 111 forbids anyone from resisting, impeding, or interfering with federal immigration officers while in the performance of their duties.
Meanwhile, Democrats also make immigration enforcement operations more risky by encouraging activism. There has been an 8,000% increase in death threats and over 1,300% increase in assaults on ICE. Fortunately, Virginia and Maryland Democrats did not succeed in stopping ICE altogether.
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to renew America this 250th birthday year.
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