White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday federal officials will "ramp up" immigration enforcement actions in so-called sanctuary cities across the country, including Los Angeles.
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"You're going to see a ramp-up of operations in New York," Homan told reporters at the White House. "You're going to see a ramp-up of operations continue in L.A., Portland, Seattle, all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
No specific details of planned enforcement actions were provided.
The comments were made just before immigration agents carried out another raid outside a Home Depot store in the Westlake area Thursday morning. ABC7 reported that eight people were arrested during the action, carried out by masked and armed agents who were seen on video emerging from unmarked vans.
"Three of those arrested had extensive rap sheets for crimes including visa overstay, possession of a controlled substance and grand theft," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to ABC7. "One individual also had a final order of deportation from an immigration judge."
ICE has been conducting stepped-up enforcement in the Los Angeles area since early June. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media Tuesday that the agency had made its 5,000th arrest in the area.
"That's 5,000 criminal illegal aliens, gang members, child predators, and murderers taken off our streets," Noem wrote. "Precious lives saved. Families protected. American taxpayers spared the cost of their crimes AND the burden of their benefits. THANK YOU to our brave law enforcement officers. Make no mistake: if you are here illegally, we will find you, arrest you, and send you back."
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