Did Ice remove over 150 sex offenders from Florida in November of 2025
Executive summary
Federal and Florida officials publicly reported that a 10-day enforcement action in late October–early November 2025 led to the arrest and removal of well over 150 sex offenders from Florida — ICE and state statements put the total removals at more than 230 people, including 164 convicted of sexual crimes and 54 labeled sexual predators [1] [2] [3]. Independent media outlets and advocacy outlets echoed the number but also reflected variation in labels and emphasis — some headlines highlighted “150-plus” sex offenders while official tallies presented broader counts of “more than 230” removals [4] [5] [6].
1. What officials announced: numbers and labels
At a Nov. 13, 2025 news conference, DHS and ICE described a statewide push called Operation Criminal Return — also publicized by some officials as “Operation Dirtbag” — that ran roughly Oct. 25 through Nov. 4 and, officials said, resulted in “over 230” arrests or removals in Florida [1] [7]. ICE’s public statement and multiple Florida outlets reported the operation included 164 people convicted of sexual crimes and 54 sexual predators, producing a combined total of 218 individuals described by those two categories and a broader “more than 230” figure when other felony convictions were included [1] [2] [3].
2. Why some reports say “150” while others say “230”
Some DHS and advocacy releases used the phrase “150-plus sex offenders” as a headline or shorthand for the stakes of the operation, a framing repeated in media summaries and policy commentaries [4] [8]. More granular counts published by ICE and state officials, and recited by local outlets, break out 164 convicted sexual crime offenders plus 54 sexual predators and additional convicted felons, which together exceed the 150 figure and produce the 230+ total cited in most press reporting [1] [9] [2].
3. Operational details, partnerships and motives
Officials credited Florida’s 287(g) partnerships and cooperation between ICE and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the manpower and reach of the sweep, and tied the operation to federal and state priorities on removing criminal noncitizens [1] [9]. The state framed Operation Criminal Return as a model for “removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” while DHS leadership emphasized child-protection language and used the “Dirtbag” label in public remarks [1] [4].
4. Caveats, critics and reporting limits
Reporting from several outlets and statements from local sources indicate some controversy over scope and classification: accounts note the operation included people with prior removal orders and registry entries, but critics have flagged that enforcement sweeps can also detain nonviolent or noncriminal immigrants and that independent verification beyond agency tallies is limited in the available coverage [9] [10]. The assembled sources are primarily government and local news reports; none in the provided reporting offers exhaustive third‑party verification of every individual case or the post-arrest disposition for each person named [1] [5] [10].
5. Bottom line — did ICE remove over 150 sex offenders in November 2025?
Yes: multiple official and mainstream news sources reporting on the November 2025 Florida operation state that ICE and Florida authorities removed well over 150 sex offenders — with detailed counts showing 164 people convicted of sexual crimes plus 54 sexual predators and a broader total of more than 230 arrests or removals announced by officials [1] [2] [3]. The variation in headline figures reflects differences in which categories were emphasized (e.g., “150-plus” as shorthand versus full breakdowns showing 218 sexual‑offender categories within a 230+ total), and the sources rely principally on government statements rather than independent case-by-case audits [4] [9] [10].