ICE Arrests 1,328 Immigrants in Washington D.C. Area Operation

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 1,328 undocumented immigrants during a 14-day enforcement effort titled Operation Safe Community — Washington, D.C. The operation, which ran from August 1 to August 14, 2026, targeted individuals across Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

Federal authorities reported that nearly 400 of the detainees had been convicted of or charged with crimes in the United States, including murder, rape, kidnapping, and robbery. The operation specifically targeted members of transnational gangs such as MS-13, the 18th Street Gang, and Tren de Aragua. Notable arrests included a Salvadoran national wanted on a murder warrant in Richmond, Virginia.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other officials characterized the operation as a success, explicitly criticizing sanctuary policies in Maryland and Virginia that discourage local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Acting Assistant Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Patricia Hyde praised the efficiency of the officers in locating offenders.

However, immigration attorney Carlos Jurado alleged a rise in brutality and excessive force during these detentions. Jurado claimed that while massive raids have decreased, detentions are increasingly occurring in the shadows and have become more aggressive, citing a client who was hospitalized with facial injuries despite having no criminal charges.