U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published a series of posts on December 12, 2025, detailing the results of a human smuggling and trafficking operation. The agency reported the arrest of 46 individuals and responded to criticism from public figures and academic staff.
In a post made at 15:30 UTC, ICE stated: "46 ILLEGAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN A HUMAN SMUGGLING AND TRAFFICKING STING
Despite @Rep_Grijalva’s attempt to work with violent agitators to impede ICE’s law enforcement operation, 46 illegal aliens were swiftly detained. https://t.co/cww5owESSu".
Later that day, at 15:38 UTC, ICE addressed Representative Raúl Grijalva directly regarding the operation: "@Rep_Grijalva 16 criminal federal search warrants targeting a transnational criminal organization linked to human trafficking/smuggling and money laundering — what exactly are you protesting, @Rep_Grijalva?
At 16:05 UTC, ICE mentioned interference by an academic administrator during their operation: ".@AugsburgU's Director of Residence Life Leah Hoover and her husband were actively interfering with our operation targeting a REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER.
Defending criminal illegal sex offenders is a new low — especially for academic staff whose job includes protecting America’s".
The events described in these posts reflect ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement efforts and some elected officials or members of academia who have voiced opposition or taken actions perceived as obstructive by ICE. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for enforcing laws related to border control, customs, trade, and immigration.
