Trump administration border czar Tom Homan vowed to go after internal leakers, as well as local community members and activists who shouted “know your rights” warnings and criticisms, after a Colorado immigration raid against alleged Venezuelan gang members Wednesday netted significantly fewer arrests than expected.
“They crossed the line of impediment,” Homan said of local activists and community members who appeared at the site of multi-agency immigration operations that occurred around the Denver and Aurora metro areas.
He added that he was still consulting with the Justice Department about what was legal, but those observers “might find themselves in a pair of handcuffs very soon.”
The official added that “we’ve already identified how this operation got leaked,” and said he was taking unspecified action on the findings today.
The Independent has contacted the White House, Justice Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
Federal officials tweeted the morning of the operation they were targeting over 100 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua for arrest and detention, though Fox News reports that by the end of Wednesday, a multi-agency team only made 30 arrests, with just one confirmed Tren de Aragua member.
“I do get the impression there were some intel leaks here,” Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Caleb Vitello told a Fox reporter embedded with the operation. “I think that probably they did know that we were coming.”
The reporter, Bill Melugin, also suggested the that targets of the operation and the local media were tipped off about the raids, which involved hundreds of agents from federal agencies, many of whom were operating in broad daylight.
“They were everywhere we were,” he said of the local media, “sometimes ahead of us, it felt like, along with some of the local activists.”
The operation had already reportedly been delayed once, after media outlets reported in January immigration officials were planning to move in.
Agents may have encountered fewer targets than expected at one location, an Aurora apartment complex called The Edge that’s been the focus of public scrutiny for alleged Tren de Aragua activities, because numerous residents moved out of the building ahead of plans to shutter the complex this month after long-running neglect of the facilities.
Later Thursday, Homan told reporters the alleged leaks may cause immigration officials to deny media embeds on future raids.
“Look, I said from Day One, we want to be transparent with the American people,” he said, according to pool reports. “We’ve invited numerous media outlets along, but right now it’s all about operational security. So we may have to stop the media ride-alongs because—I’m not pointing the finger at them—but the less people that know about these operations the safer it is for our agents.”
Aurora is among the cities Donald Trump singled out in his campaignl, alleging its hadn’t done enough to prosecute immigration offenders.
