Major Crackdown on Child Sex Offenders in Florida
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced the arrest of more than 150 sexual predators in Florida as part of a new immigration enforcement initiative dubbed 'Operation Dirtbag'. The high-profile operation specifically targeted individuals accused of crimes against children, including sexual assault, battery and attempted homicide.
Speaking to Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Noem revealed that while the official name was 'Operation Criminal Return', she preferred calling it Operation Dirtbag because 'these individuals were sex offenders, but not just sex offenders, they targeted children'. She emphasised that removing these 150 individuals from streets would make communities safer for children.
Federal Operations Expand to Chicago
The Florida operation comes as the Trump administration expands its immigration enforcement efforts to other regions, notably Chicago, Illinois. On September 8, the Department of Homeland Security deployed federal troops to the city, where the administration has been clashing with Democratic leadership over immigration and crime policies.
President Trump lashed out at Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in a social media post, warning him to address Chicago's crime problems quickly 'or we're coming'. The Republican president has also been critical of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have pushed back against the federal mobilization by arguing that crime has actually fallen in Chicago.
Claims of Success Amid Controversy
Despite local opposition, President Trump declared victory on Tuesday night, asserting that crime rates had plummeted in the nation's third-largest city thanks to federal intervention. He specifically cited Operation 'Midway Blitz', which he claimed resulted in a 35 percent reduction in shootings, 41 percent drop in robberies and nearly 50 percent decrease in carjackings.
Trump credited these achievements to 'just a small initial Federal Force' and promised even better results as more assets are deployed. However, he acknowledged facing 'extraordinary resistance from Chicago and Illinois Radical Democrat Leadership' and condemned what he called 'Violent Leftwing Terrorism against ICE Officers and Federal Agents'.
The federal operation in Chicago has indeed faced significant local opposition. Governor Pritzker had previously warned Trump not to come to Chicago, calling the deployment 'illegal, unconstitutional and un-American'. After federal agents moved in regardless, Pritzker doubled down, insisting 'there is no emergency in Chicago that requires the National Guard'.
The confrontation has escalated beyond political rhetoric, with the DHS reporting increased assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. Last week, two border patrol agents were shot at while on duty, prompting the department to issue a statement condemning the violence and calling for it to end.
Back in Florida, Secretary Noem praised the cooperation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in making Operation Dirtbag possible. She stressed that the detained individuals 'should have never been in our country to begin with' and described them as 'sexual deviants and perverts' who now pose no further threat to communities.
The operation in Florida serves as a pilot programme for a wider scheme the Trump administration hopes to implement nationwide, representing a significant escalation in immigration enforcement efforts targeting specific criminal categories.
