ICE Publishes ‘Worst of the Worst’ List After Minnesota Enforcement Surge; Names Multiple Convicted Child Sexual Offenders and Homicide Defendants

ICE officials on Saturday released a list of noncitizens they described as the "worst of the worst" arrested during a recent enforcement surge in Minnesota, a state where sanctuary policies have been a source of political dispute. The agency said many of those arrested had been living freely in Minnesota prior to their arrests and that several had long-standing final orders of removal.

ICE Statement and Federal Reactions

ICE Director Todd M. Lyons defended the operation in a public statement, saying enforcement will continue despite political objections: "Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere," Lyons said, adding that some individuals had final orders of removal going back decades.

The director argued that these arrests help prevent recidivism and improve public safety and criticized local officials who, he said, appear to prioritize political posturing over protecting constituents.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also commented on social media, calling the arrested individuals "sick people" and praising ICE agents for their "thankless work to protect American communities." The Department of Homeland Security posted a photo on X of a plane with the caption: "Lawbreakers going wheels up in Minneapolis."

Listed Individuals and Alleged Convictions

The agency provided names, alleged convictions and removal histories for the people it arrested. The list below presents those details as reported by ICE:

• Sriudorn Phaivan (Laos) — Convicted of strong-arm sodomy of a boy and of a girl, an additional aggravated sex offense, nine counts of larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, four counts of fraud, vehicle theft, two counts of drug possession, obstructing justice, possession of stolen property, receiving stolen property, burglary and check forgery. Pending charges reportedly include receiving stolen property (two counts), flight to avoid prosecution or confinement, and burglary. Phaivan is listed as having a deportation order since 2018.
• Tou Vang (Laos) — Convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under 13, and procuring a child for prostitution. Listed as having a deportation order since 2006.
• Chong Vue (Laos) — Convicted of the strong-arm rape of a 12-year-old girl and of kidnapping a child with intent to sexually assault her. Listed as having a deportation order since 2004.
• Ge Yang (Laos) — Convicted of strong-arm rape, aggravated assault with a weapon and strangulation. Listed as having a deportation order since 2012.
• Pao Choua Xiong (Laos) — Convicted of rape and child fondling. Listed as having a deportation order since 2003.
• Kou Lor (Laos) — Convicted of rape, rape with a weapon and sexual assault. Listed as having a deportation order since 1996.
• Hernan Cortes-Valencia (Mexico) — Convicted of sexual assault of a child and driving under the influence. Listed as having a deportation order since 2016.
• Abdirashid Adosh Elmi (Somalia) — Convicted of homicide.
• Gilberto Salguero Landaverde (El Salvador) — Convicted on three counts of homicide. The agency lists a deportation order date of "June 2025," which appears to be a typographical error in the public release.
• Gabriel Figueroa Gama (Mexico) — Convicted of homicide. Previously deported in 2002, according to the ICE notice.
• Galuak Michael Rotgai (Sudan) — Convicted of homicide.
• Thai Lor (Laos) — Convicted on two counts of homicide. Listed as having a deportation order since 2009.
• Mariana Sia Kanu (Sierra Leone) — Convicted of two counts of homicide. Listed as having a deportation order since 2022.
• Aldrin Guerrero Munoz (Mexico) — Convicted of homicide. Listed as having a deportation order since 2015.
• Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed (Somalia) — Convicted of manslaughter. Listed as having a deportation order since 2022.
• Mongong Kual Maniang Deng (Sudan) — Convicted of attempted homicide, weapon possession and DUI.
• Aler Gomez Lucas (Guatemala) — Convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and DUI. Listed as having a deportation order since 2022.
• Shwe Htoo (Myanmar/Burma) — Convicted of negligent homicide.

Context and Notes

ICE framed the enforcement action as part of its nationwide efforts to arrest noncitizens convicted of serious crimes. Local and state officials, immigrant-rights advocates and other stakeholders have criticized such operations in the past, citing concerns about community trust and civil rights; those perspectives were not included in the agency's initial release summarized here.

Note: The descriptions above reflect the information publicly released by ICE and reported by media partners. Some entries contain dates or details that may require additional verification (for example, a listed deportation order date of June 2025 appears inconsistent and may be a typographical error in the original release).