LIVE: Secretary Mullin Holds Press Conference on Results of Operation Lone Star

Well, thank you all for being here. I want to thank everyone who is standing behind me. and the great work that they do to truly preserve our towns, our cities, and keep our states safe by going after the worst of the worst. Today we're talking about a specific mission. that took place over the last 10 days. It was called the Lone Star Mission. And what you will see is when we have cooperation, we, as the federal government, We, the Department of Homeland Security, When we have cooperation with the state, from the state to the county to local law enforcement, We can go after the worst of the worst. We can get them off our backs, we can bring crime down, We can allow people to walk through their streets. and their towns safe. And unfortunately, I just want to keep you in mind, Unfortunately, under the previous administration, the Biden administration, We experienced a flood of criminals who crossed our borders. and entered our towns and walked through our streets. And just to provide some approximate figures on this, to truly help you understand, just terrorists alone, since President Trump took office, and he restored law and order, he restored common sense, He restored the ability to enforce our nation's laws. We have arrested 2,168 terrorists. That doesn't include all the criminals we arrested. These are terrorists, not terrorist watch lists. These were terrorists who were let into this country under the previous administration. Think about that. And then you start thinking about all the drug activity that came to light The thing about the fentanyl epidemic that took place, where we were losing more children, more sisters, More brothers, more moms, more dads, in one year, than we would lose in the entire conflict, or what we have lost in the entire conflict, American casualties here in Vietnam. And it affected everyone. Everyone standing here knows someone. that was affected by the fentanyl crisis. And that was because of our open borders. and our policies from the Biden administration. Thank God for President Trump coming and empowering us to enforce our nation's laws. We are able to see the crime rate drop. We are able to see murder rates drop to 126-year lows. We're seeing violent crimes drop to 30- and 40-year lows. We're seeing fentanyl overdoses go backwards for the first time Because we are enforcing our nation's laws. And I say this all the time. The Department of Homeland Security did not make these laws. Congress enacted these laws. And we enforce the laws that Congress has passed. I have no idea why it would be controversial for us to enforce those laws. Protecting our homeland should never be controversial. Doing our job and having a mission similar to Lone Star We take over 4,100 criminals off our streets in 10 days. Why is that controversial? We should all want to be safe in our community. And if Congress dislikes the laws we are enforcing, They have the ability to change those. And guess what? If they changed them, all these men and women behind me, and the entire Department of Homeland Security, We would enforce those laws. We do not selectively enforce which laws we apply, We simply enforce our nation's laws. But when you see cooperation such as we've had over the past 10 days across the state of Texas, and removing 4,107 illegal aliens in just 10 days, and over 60% of those individuals had a criminal record. They should never have been on our streets. We can make the Lone Star State safer. We are able to make the communities within Texas safer. And we're able to do it without fanfare. Because these men and women who go out there every single day, taking the worst of the worst off the streets, are simply doing the job they love. That's protecting you and me. That's protecting your backyard, protecting my backyard, And even if you don't agree with what they're doing, They're still protecting you, and they're protecting your family. And so I want to thank those who participated in this. And I want to point out to our sanctuary politicians, This is what cooperation looks like. This is what law and order look like. This is what safety looks like. And when you support sanctuary policies, You're supporting gangsters, you're supporting child pedophiles, You're supporting rapists, you're supporting cartels, You're supporting organized crime. There are no humanitarian policies that create a sanctuary city. because it creates a safe haven for crime. It creates a safe haven for those criminals to use as a base your sanctuary city home, and then they terrorize your community. Who are you protecting? Here in Texas, they're protecting their state. They are protecting those who respect the law. Here in Texas, they're keeping the people safe, because that is what they are born to do. We should all do that. And as I stand here in front of you, I couldn't be more proud of the work they do. And thank you for the cooperation we have received from our partners, from the state, local, and county levels. It's impossible to do it without your help. It's a very vital part of it. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to... Good afternoon, everyone, My name is Miguel Vergara, I'm Field Office Director for ERO Dallas. I want to add to the numbers the secretary shared regarding the arrest. and what has been accomplished over the past few days. This is a statewide effort. Mission Lone Star is what happens. when state, county, local, and federal agencies work together. In this case particularly, the five ERO offices, field offices within the state of Texas, working together with state, county, and local to share information, to coordinate, to collaborate to identify, locate, target, and arrest individuals who pose a threat to national security and public safety, have long criminal records or have a final order removed from the United States. An example of that is Mr. Orlando Aguilar, an alien previously removed from the United States with a removal order, who also has a criminal record, including felony intoxication, assault with a vehicle, causing serious bodily injury and a second offense And this is just one of the many cases the ERO encounters every day, Every single day. Mission Lone Star, as I mentioned, was a collaborative effort. included all five ERO field offices in the state of Texas, That is Dallas, El Paso, Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio. But we couldn't have done it alone, as the Secretary said. We required cooperation from the state. from the county, from the local officials. Some of them are here with us today, and we are so very grateful for what they do, because working with us, They show up just like we do, show up every day, put in long hours, Handle difficult cases professionally. Some of the agencies that are here with us today that I want to recognize include the Wise County Sheriff's Office, Wichita Falls County Sheriff's Office, the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, the Cisco Police Department, and the Young County Sheriff's Office. There are many more. I'm just highlighting a few. Something else I want to point out is that the great partnership for the coordination that goes with 287(g) with many of the agencies in the state of Texas, that coordination they are carrying out with federal agencies to ensure that results like the ones we are sharing today occur. This constant cooperation makes days like today possible. possible in the sense that we were able to carry out 879 arrests, Criminal arrests, individuals with final orders, also in danger to community and national security within just a few days. It would not have been possible without them. without their help and their cooperation. So in closing, echoing the Secretary, Today, what we share today matters, It matters because it keeps the community safe and keeps our country safe. I also want to briefly acknowledge the unsung heroes who are not here. on the podium with me, the ERO officers here in Dallas, and at all field offices, they show up every day, working difficult cases, Work hard, they're committed to the mission, they do it. because they love it, because they want it, they want to do it, I want to commend them; I am proud of serving alongside them. I am proud of serving alongside my colleagues, field office director from all five offices, and I am also proud of our law enforcement partners those who work with us every day to make this happen. And with that, I would like to hand it over to my colleague, Claude Brathwaite, from the University of Houston. Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Brett Brathwaite. I am the field office director for the Houston field office of the ERO. First of all, I want to thank Secretary Mullen and President Trump. for the leadership, support, and resources they provided that empowers our officers to perform their critical mission every a single day of removing criminal aliens from the United States and out of our communities for the greatest public safety. I also want to thank all of our law enforcement partners. in the law enforcement community. As a native Texan myself, I'm glad that I get to work. In this environment where we all cooperate. When law enforcement cooperates and work together, our communities are safer. And I don't think there's any better an example of that is right here in Texas. I think this is a model of how it should work throughout the nation. So thank you all for everything you do every day to assist us in accomplishing our mission. This common sense philosophy of working together prevails throughout the state, and leads to the significant success that we see here. The Texas field officers always perform at the top. in the nation for arrest and removal, consistently, Even though we're a mid-sized office. That simply shows how important the environment is. And cooperation is critical in what we do. I do want to highlight one case. It's a Honduran national. I think it's one of the posters here that you've got. Ramon Antonio Martínez, 45 years old, from Honduras. This individual was apprehended with the assistance of Harris County Constable's Precinct 1. This individual was a prior deportee. and was wanted in Honduras for murder. or the son of a rancher in Honduras. He is now in custody, off the streets, and will be soon deported back to Honduras to face those charges in Honduras. It's a good example of what would happen if this were a sanctuary jurisdiction. that individual would still be part of our community, victimizing our community. But because we work together, because this is not a sanctuary jurisdiction, we are able to affect his, not only get him off the street, but affect his removal from our communities and from the United States entirely. It's a major victory, and it shows, to me, What should be done throughout the day. There is no reason to harbor criminals. There is no reason to provide safe sanctuaries for criminals. It makes no sense to me. That being said, while this operation was highly successful, We had great numbers, and we moved a lot of people. from our communities that pose a threat to public safety, There is still a lot of work to be done. So, with the support of Secretary Mullen and President Trump, I know our people are up to the task, and we look forward to getting out there every single day and doing our best to make our communities safe, to make this a better place for each and every one of our people in the United States. So, thank you very much. Thank you, Brett, and thank you, McGill, for that. I want to give you a couple more numbers that, just from the people behind me, you will see that just from the individuals behind me for the last fiscal year, that would be from October 1st to September 30th, They have removed 136,481 criminals from the street Sixty percent of those individuals had a serious criminal background. Let me repeat that. In the last fiscal year, from October 1st to September 30th. this group standing behind 136,481 individuals, That would be my wife's phone. Actually, that's my phone. She's holding it for me. Hey, don't you know better than that? But 60% of those individuals had a criminal background. That's amazing. That means how many individuals walking on your street were illegally in this country, someone who should never have entered this country. But due to the failure by the Biden administration, You have had those individuals in your country. President Trump came in and empowered us, the Department of Homeland Security, to do our job. And that's to protect. What a great mission. What a wonderful mission that is. It frustrates me when people make it controversial. Enforcing our nation's laws. Enforcing the law and maintaining order. So you can live safely in your community is not controversial. It should never be. I don't even know how you could possibly think protecting the individuals who are on our side at this moment is more important than protecting law-abiding citizens. Sanctuary policies Sanctuary politicians. They choose to place these criminals above law-abiding citizens. And think about that. That accounts for only about 2% of our population. President Trump has said this before. 2% of the population is responsible for 90% of our criminal activity. So instead of representing the other 98% of the law-abiding citizens within this country, sanctuary politicians should represent. I don't know how you can possibly stand on solid ground. and think that's a good thing. With that, I'll stop and we'll take a few questions. Hello, I am a professional translator. I am here to assist you with accurate, high-quality translations. JD, it hasn't Just been the last a few years ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has always taken the job. One thing is that we have many more people, because we have over 20 million people who have led into this country by the Biden administration over four years. When you see a joint enforcement, What we do is target individuals specifically. that the regular workforce may not have the opportunity to attain. Every day, the EROs in these areas are out there doing their job, But we are limited in resources. But when we are able to come together with the county, and with the state, and with local police departments, and say, hey, we're going to flood this area, and take out all these individuals for whom we already have warrants and we're going to focus there immediately, We are able to capture more of them at once. They never run on their own. Criminals tend to associate with other criminals. And so when you just arrest one, The rest of them scatter like cockroaches. But when we are able to hit them all at the same time, We're able to take more of them in. So it's a more concentrated area, And that's why we're able to get these individuals off the streets. Most of these individuals we've been searching for for quite some time, but we just didn't have the resources to be able to do it To go in and conduct a pattern of life analysis on the individual. Make sure we know where they live. know where they work out, if they work out know where they like to eat or where they like to drink, Where they work, if they are working, Where do they like to go to buy things? What time do they leave their house, what do they drive? That pattern of life is important when we go into the Force. and so that pattern of life is usually established before we even Enforce it like this, and so we already know the person. And then we just go in and do it all at once. Yes, ma'am. Listen, just because You opt out or you opt in to the 27G program, one thing about Dallas is They are great partners, and We have good. relationships. The 27G The program helps us reimburse them. for the time they spend on immigration enforcement or when they arrest someone, we are able to reimburse them for training, or for the overtime that they occur, or equipment that they need for processing, or for detaining the individuals in the in state or county jails. It simply makes that process easier. But it doesn't mean we can't cooperate. It just makes it much easier. and more financially responsible, I think for the communities that do participate in 2017. Yes. Sorry, could you please repeat your name? Dylan Approximately 60%. I'll say that earlier. Oh, you're talking about violent crimes? I'd have to break that out, but if you're a convicted felon, That just, regardless, It doesn't make the level of violence any less or any more significant. It shouldn't have been in this country to begin with. 60% of those arrested had a criminal record. And so, but if you break down the violent ones, To me, none of them should be on our streets anyway. Because every victim from someone who is Being in this country illegally is 100% preventable. because they should never have been in this country to begin with. Regardless of the violent crime or the petty theft. Did you say something? Well, excessive force will depend against the perpetrator. If they comply with our orders, There will be no excessive force. We have to confront the threat, and as the threat comes and prevents itself from us, The officer has a duty to protect himself and the public. because that threat can extend beyond just the officer in front of the individual, but can also extend beyond that. And if something happens, either HSI or the FBI will step in. And sometimes the IG will even come in to help investigate that. Well, I'll kind of push back once you mention a criminal record. They enter the country legally, So they technically do have a criminal record. They haven't been charged with a felony. They chose to break our nation's laws. when they chose to enter the country legally. And just keep in mind, too, if you're in this country illegally, That means you're not legally allowed to work either. So, you are breaking the law. You probably have identity theft going on because you're being forced to work. for someone, and either you're working for them under a fake ID and a fake Social Security number, or you're working for the individual in cash, which means that you're avoiding paying state, local, and federal taxes, and thus you have criminal activity. You haven't been charged with it yet. And so the other 40% are criminals, Due to the activities they're engaged in, they haven't been caught yet. We were able to, we refer to them as collateral criminals, meaning that they were nearby, probably with the criminal that we We are going to serve the arrest warrant on. They may not have been the intended target. but they were in the vehicle, they were in a house, or wherever the warrant was executed. And those are the other 40% that were picked up. We're going to continue going out to the worst of the worst every day. That's what ICE, that's what ERO, that's what the Department of Homeland Security and all 21 to 22 of our components do, We go out to the worst of the worst every day. Our job is to protect the homeland, And you can't do that if you have criminals running loose on your streets. You can't do that without having a secure border. You can't have national security. If you don't know who's in your country. And those individuals who enter this country illegally, We're chasing after you every single day. The 2,168 terrorists did not come into this country under the name given to them by terrorists. They provided a false name, and the Biden administration accepted them. Or they didn't even know we were here. They just came in, or we didn't know they were here—they just came in. But some of these had actually been paroled. at the border when they were caught. And when we caught them, we grabbed them by this. the collateral criminals, And we conducted biometric analysis on the individuals. We found out that they were actually wanted. And they were on the terrorist list. So, we take each of these very seriously. We have an immigration policy, and if people wish to enter this country, They can go and follow our immigration policy. and then when they arrive here, they can become part of our communities by ensuring they comply with our nation's laws, right? If you enter this country illegally, you chose to bypass the line. You chose to say, listen, I don't respect the laws of this nation, that I'm trying to reach, and I'm going to do it my way. And then you choose to come in here and keep breaking the law by working illegally, or stealing someone's identity, and still working illegally. You have made that decision. You made that decision. We are here to enforce the immigration policy. that Congress makes. And we're going to keep doing that every day, and we're going to keep going after the worst of the worst, and we will never be apologetic about enforcing our nation's immigration policy Is there anybody here? I'll try to get to a couple more. I'll get back to you. Yes, sir. Yes. You know, that That is a great question. One of our biggest repeat offenders comes from Mexico, as we know. When we deport people to Mexico, we send them to Mexico City. And sometimes three days later we catch them again on the border. That's why we're considering options from third countries. When you're a habitual repeat offender, and you are going to continue trying to enter this country legally, We're done playing whack-a-mole with you. We're just going to send you to a different country, and had those agreements established. Or the country to which we are sending them needs to hold them accountable. If they are here and have a serious offense, We're going to make them pay for their time. that they owe the public for the crime they committed, And then we're going to deport them. In most cases, that's not every case. but in most cases Obviously, if they had killed someone, We're going to hold them accountable. They're going to rot in prison here. And whether it is heinous or not, We're going to, if the state and jurisdiction you're in allows us To have a definite, we'll go out to a definite too. You will be held accountable for your crimes. On immigration, it's a little bit different, but repeat offenders, we are looking into that, trying to figure out how to push them even farther out and farther away, and send them to a different country. We have agreements, and a lot of different countries. We are willing to accept them, and we appreciate our partners. Listen, we're doing our job every day. When we carry out targeted arrests like this, Law enforcement agencies from all over the country do this. We have law enforcement in different cities. That target on a certain week's gang activity. They patrol zones where they are enforcing speed limit laws. I mean, we see it. We see it right here in Dallas, when you'll see them on a turnpike or see them on the interstate or another highway. so that kind of targeted enforcement you are going to continue to see but we work as hard as we can with the resources we have We have, so increase We're working as hard as we can, these men and women those who love their jobs even with all the controversy that comes behind it because of sanctuary politicians They're out there doing their job and working. way more than 40 hours a week and so to say, we're going to see an increase We're doing everything we can. and we're going to continue at that pace Guys, thank you for your time, thank you for coming here today, And I can't say it enough, thank you to these men. and women who are on the streets every single day maintaining keeping our communities safe and dealing with the worst of the worst. I am so honored to be Secretary of Homeland Security. and be able to work with great patriots like this. It is a genuine thrill in my life to be able to do this, and it's very humbling, because when you surround yourself In a room full of guys like this, you realize how insignificant I am. Do is compared to what they do every day. And so I just want to thank you all for making us all proud, keeping my family safe, keeping your family safe, and risking your life every single day, so the average person in the community who doesn't even realize The work you're doing can go about its day. and have a normal day, and get home, and keep their family safe. So thank you, everyone, and may God bless you. We'll see you.