DHS Secretary Kristi Noem joins federal agents making high-profile arrests in New York City

NEW YORK -- DHS Secretary Kristi Noem rode alongside federal agents targeting a high-profile Venezuelan gang member and others on an immigration raid in New York City on Tuesday morning.

The secretary is witnessing both criminal and civil enforcement operations, according to sources familiar with the actions in New York.

Noem posted photos of the raids on social media throughout the morning.

Noem rode alongside federal law enforcement agents as they tracked down a high priority target in the Bronx, who was wanted for kidnapping, assault and burglary. He has been linked to the Tren de Aragua gang in Venezuela who was tied to the Aurora, Colorado apartment invasion.

Agents were searching the same location for other targets.

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with federal partners including the FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP and the U.S. Marshals Service, began conducting enhanced targeted operations today in New York City to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," a spokesperson for ICE said in a statement.

The agency's daily arrests, which averaged 311 in the year ending Sept. 30, stayed fairly steady in the first days after President Trump took office, then spiked dramatically Sunday to 956 and Monday to 1,179. If sustained, those numbers would mark the highest daily average since ICE began keeping records.

Trump also has lifted longtime guidelines that restricted ICE from operating at "sensitive locations" such as schools, churches or hospitals. That decision has worried many migrants and advocates who fear children will be traumatized by seeing their parents arrested in the drop-off line at school or that migrants needing medical care won't go to the hospital for fear of arrest.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other leaders from around the country are being called before Congress to answer questions about immigration.

The House Oversight Committee is set to hold a hearing on February 11.

Congressman James Comer, who is the committee chairman, says Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City have refused to cooperate with federal immigration laws.

Federal authorities say they are targeting violent offenders.

That is no different from the Biden administration, but a big change has already taken hold: Under Trump, officers can now arrest people without legal status if they run across them while looking for migrants targeted for removal. Under Joe Biden, such "collateral arrests" were banned.

Immigration advocates are informing people of their rights and if federal agents knock on their door.

"People will stop accessing services that are desperately needed. We will have victims who are not seeking public safety services. We will have confused parents and school officials, Rosanna Eugino, New York Immigration Coalition, said in a press conference.

President Trump said he is committed to delivering on his campaign promises.

"We're detaining them and we are throwing them the hell out of our country. We have no apologies and we're moving forward very fast," Trump said.