(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on December 24, 2025 that, under President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, more than 17,500 “criminal illegal aliens” were arrested and detained for crimes covered by the Laken Riley Act.
Operation Angel’s Honor and recent enforcement
DHS tied the new totals to Operation Angel’s Honor, a 14-day nationwide enforcement effort that Noem said ended earlier this week and targeted people accused of committing Laken Riley Act crimes.
DHS said ICE arrested 1,030 “criminal illegal aliens” during the operation. The department described this as part of a broader enforcement scale-up that reached 17,500+ arrests as of December 2025.
“In honor of Laken Riley, ICE launched Operation Angel’s Honor – in the last 2 weeks alone arresting more than 1,000 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act.” — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
“President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration. Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country. We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice. I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets.” — Noem
The Laken Riley Act — overview and key provisions
- The Laken Riley Act is described by DHS as the first piece of legislation signed by President Trump.
- It was introduced January 6, 2025 as S.5/H.R. 29 and signed on January 29, 2025, according to the background description included in DHS’s announcement.
- The law amends the Immigration and Nationality Act and expands mandatory ICE detention “without bond eligibility,” even before trial or conviction.
- It applies to:
- undocumented entrants
- asylum seekers
- DACA/TPS recipients
- lawful permanent residents
- visa holders charged with covered offenses
Key covered offenses (as stated in the background description) include:
– Theft, burglary, larceny, shoplifting
– Assaulting a law enforcement officer
– Any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury
– The law requires DHS detention for people “arrested, charged, convicted, or admitting to” these offenses.
Additional provisions:
– States may sue DHS or the Attorney General for immigration enforcement failures that cause harm over $100, including releases from custody or inadequate border inspections.
– It restricts visas to countries that delay repatriation.
– “No exceptions exist for minors or dropped charges,” the background description said.
– Sponsors listed included Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), and “others like John Fetterman (D-PA),” with House lead Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) involved.
DHS rationale and ties to Laken Riley
The law is named after 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley, who was murdered February 22, 2024 on the University of Georgia campus.
- DHS described Riley as a Georgia nursing student killed by an illegal alien from Venezuela who it says was a member of Tren de Aragua.
- DHS said the man, Jose Ibarra, entered illegally in September 2022 and was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration.
- DHS also said he was arrested by NYPD for acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and released, before later committing Riley’s murder.
- DHS linked the law’s name and enforcement to Riley’s killing and framed enforcement as part of “Making America Safe Again.”
Criticism and support
DHS’s background description included both criticism and support.
Critics (examples cited by DHS):
– National Immigration Project (January 24, 2025 analysis) and NILC argue the law:
– risks indefinite detention on arrests alone, “even false ones”
– disrupts prosecutions
– exacerbates racial disparities
– affects legal immigrants “without due process,” the background description said
Proponents (as described by DHS):
– Cite public safety after Riley’s murder.
– DHS framed the enforcement push as necessary to remove those it calls criminal illegal aliens and to protect communities.
DHS also noted operational realities:
– Counties must report qualifying arrests to ICE, which issues detainers.
– DHS said ICE lacks full enforcement resources, citing “ICE memos.”
Examples of arrests cited by DHS
DHS provided specific examples of arrests made during Operation Angel’s Honor, listing people from Cuba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Iraq, and India, with convictions and charges that DHS described as fitting the law’s categories.
The following table preserves the DHS descriptions of the individuals, their origin, and convictions/charges:
| Name | Country (described by DHS) | Convictions / Charges (as described by DHS) |
|---|---|---|
| Sergio Luis Hernandez Gonzalez | Cuba | Convicted of 17 counts of larceny, 2 counts of burglary, 2 counts of selling cocaine, resisting an officer, vehicle theft, fraud, and robbery. |
| Jersson Andrey Poveda Delgado | Colombia | Convicted of aggravated assault on a police officer and charged with battery. |
| Yaser Garcia Ramirez | Dominican Republic | Convicted of vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to manufacture/distribute heroin, trespassing, criminal possession of a loaded firearm; also charged with domestic violence, assault, and obstructing police. |
| Jorby Joel Escuraina-Suarez | Venezuela | Convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon. |
| Santos Chim-Diego | Guatemala | Convicted of resisting an officer, aggravated assault on an officer, and DUI; also charged with cruelty toward a child, assault, domestic violence, and battery. |
| Nathaniel Antoney Sterling | Jamaica | Convicted of sexual assault – carnal abuse; also charged with resisting an officer, domestic abuse, possession of a weapon, and disorderly conduct. |
| Omar Barojas-Arenas | Mexico | Convicted of kidnapping and drug possession; charged with burglary and larceny. |
| Hamid Abdulimam Al Nassar | Iraq | Convicted of procuring for a prostitute who is a minor, possession of narcotics equipment, larceny, and drug possession; also charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, embezzlement, and fraud. |
| Avelino Lage-Caro | Cuba | Convicted of cocaine possession, selling cocaine, and possession of a weapon; also charged with larceny. |
| Yorisane Lazo | Cuba | Convicted of homicide willful kill with weapon, robbery, and street strong-arm robbery. |
| Varun Datta | India | Convicted of four counts of sexual assault, resisting an officer, and DUI; also charged with shoplifting, trespassing, and battery. |
| Luz Brisseida Ramirez-Leal | Mexico | Convicted of cruelty towards a child. |
| Antonio Quintana-Rodriguez | Mexico | Convicted of rape and illegal entry. |
DHS framing and next steps
- DHS repeatedly emphasized detaining people it described as criminal illegal aliens, stating the Laken Riley Act mandates detention for those accused of covered offenses (including theft, burglary, and crimes that cause death or serious bodily injury).
- DHS cast Operation Angel’s Honor as a short, targeted effort within the broader detention mandate of the Act.
- Noem connected the arrests to removal:
> “Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported over 17,500 arrests of ‘criminal illegal aliens’ as part of an enforcement scale-up under the Laken Riley Act. This included the 14-day Operation Angel’s Honor, which yielded 1,030 arrests. The law mandates detention for non-citizens charged with crimes like theft and assault. While DHS frames this as essential for safety, advocacy groups raise concerns regarding due process and racial disparities.
