ICE released a list of convicted illegal immigrants arrested during a recent enforcement surge in Minnesota, and the names and charges read like a worst-case catalog of violent and sexual crimes. The arrests sparked pushback from local politicians and activists who defend sanctuary policies, while federal officials and White House staff praised agents’ actions. This piece lays out what ICE found, what officials said, and why conservative voices see the issue as proof that secure borders and firm immigration enforcement matter.
Federal agents say they identified offenders who were living freely in Minnesota despite serious convictions and removal orders. Those arrests came amid protests and political theater aimed at stopping enforcement, but federal leaders insisted the work would continue. “Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere,” ICE director Todd M. Lyons wrote in a statement. “Some of these criminal aliens have had final orders of removal for 30 years, but they’ve been free to terrorize Minnesotans.”
Republicans and law-and-order voters view these arrests as confirmation that sanctuary policies put communities at risk by prioritizing politics over public safety. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted forcefully to the roundup on X, saying, “This is why we have ICE Agents,” Leavitt wrote in the post. “May God Bless them for their thankless work to protect American communities from these sick people.”
The Department of Homeland Security also posted a photo on X with a stark caption that captured the moment: “Lawbreakers going wheels up in Minneapolis.” That line reinforced the image of offenders being placed on flights for removal after years of living under court orders. For many conservatives the picture and the words together signaled that federal enforcement can be decisive when local authorities refuse to act.
Among the people named by ICE, the list includes offenders convicted of child sexual assault, rape and multiple homicides. Sriudorn Phaivan, identified as Laotian, faces a long string of convictions including strong-arm sodomy of a boy and a girl, aggravated sex offenses, multiple larceny and fraud counts, vehicle theft, drug possession and burglary, and he has had a deportation order since 2018. Tou Vang, also Laotian, was convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under 13 and procuring a child for prostitution, with a deportation order in place since 2006.
Chong Vue was convicted of strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old and kidnapping with intent to sexually assault, with a deportation order dating to 2004. Ge Yang was convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon and strangulation, and has had a deportation order since 2012. Pao Choua Xiong was convicted of rape and child fondling and has had a removal order since 2003.
Several other arrests involved repeat violent offenders and homicide convictions, the kind of cases sanctuary proponents often downplay. Kou Lor was convicted of rape, rape with a weapon and sexual assault and has had a deportation order since 1996. Hernan Cortes-Valencia, from Mexico, was convicted of sexual assault of a child and DUI, with a deportation order from 2016. Abdirashid Adosh Elmi was convicted of homicide.
This round also named multiple accused killers whose removal orders were already on the books. Gilberto Salguero Landaverde, identified as Salvadoran, was convicted of three counts of homicide and had a deportation order noted as of June 2025. Gabriel Figueroa Gama was convicted of homicide and had previously been deported in 2002. Galuak Michael Rotgai was convicted of homicide, while Thai Lor faced two counts of homicide and had a removal order since 2009.
A number of other defendants were listed for homicide, manslaughter, negligent death and weapons offenses, underscoring the severity of charges ICE says it targeted. Mariana Sia Kanu was convicted of two counts of homicide and had a deportation order since 2022, and Aldrin Guerrero Munoz faced a homicide conviction with a removal order since 2015. Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed was convicted of manslaughter and has had a deportation order since 2022.
Additional names included convictions for attempted homicide, DUI with fatal consequences, negligent homicide, and weapon possession, painting a picture of a wide range of violent crimes tied to people who immigration courts ordered out of the country. Mongong Dual Maniang Deng was convicted of attempt to commit homicide, weapon possession and DUI. Aler Gomez Lucas was convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI, with a deportation order in place since 2022, while Shwe Htoo was convicted of negligent homicide.
