The Homeland Security Secretary lauds Florida law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE, says driving without license is a crime.
By Ramon Lopez
Original Air Date: October 22, 2025
Host: ICE is catching bad guys. That’s the simple message Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem brought during a quick stop during her whirlwind tour of the United States. Ramon Lopez got to ask her a couple questions.
Ramon Lopez: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a quick visit to the Sarasota-Bradenton area Monday morning. Her brief appearance at a media event was part of her “magical mystery tour” to promote U.S. President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda.
The press conference was held under heavy security in an unidentified Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations field office on Third Street West in Bradenton.
As in her other appearances nationwide, DHS Secretary Noem highlighted four recent “worst of the worst” ICE arrests in the Sarasota-Bradenton area.
She said the criminal illegal aliens are charged with various crimes, including sex assault, illegal drug possession and murder. Seized handguns, assault-style rifles and drugs were put on display.
Noem said more than 480,000 such arrests have been made since January. She added that 70% of the apprehensions were of illegal aliens convicted or charged with a crime in the United States.
When asked why local ICE detentions have resulted from traffic tickets for minor driving infractions, Noem said crimes, even low-level ones, need to be targeted by masked ICE agents.
Kristi Noem: What would you call a low level crime? I would say anybody who’s been victimized by somebody who’s committed a crime—it is significant to them. That’s significant if they end up causing harm to someone. If they’re not trained and don’t have a license, and they’re on the street operating illegally, get into an accident and hurt someone, then that no longer is a low-level crime. We have laws, and we don’t get to pick which ones matter and which ones don’t. Every single one of our laws has been put in place for a reason and therefore will be enforced.
RL: The former governor of South Dakota said she was here to bring attention to efforts by local law enforcement, which have been under-reported by the media. More than 200 police departments in Florida are partnered with ICE as President Trump makes good on his promise to deport millions without legal documentation.
KN: We would love to have local law enforcement across the country participating with us, and many times that’s not true. Here in Sarasota, it’s been fantastic. Here in Florida, it’s been amazing.
We continue to have targeted operations in many cities, but also very focused on those where challenges are still remaining such as Portland, Chicago—we’re in Memphis as well. We’re going into San Francisco at the direction of the president as well. We’re going to continue to make sure we’re focused not just in those cities that we hear about on the news but also cities like Sarasota—that we make sure that law enforcement officers in every single community get the chance to continue to get these criminals off of their streets.
RL: Noem said the local law and order example will be imposed elsewhere in the nation.
KN: You go into other communities and other states, and many times those governors are political. Those leaders in those towns—Portland’s a great example of the mayor who chooses to play politics instead of keeping his citizens safe. Governor Pritzker in Illinois is putting his people in danger every day by going against us and not working with us to make sure that we’re detaining individuals who have criminal charges against them or have been convicted and then rereleasing them out on the streets.
Speaker: We’ve got to get louder.
Demonstrators: No hate! No KKK! No fascist U.S.A!
RL: Outside the local ICE/DHI field office, a group of about 10 protesters called for an end to the ICE arrests of innocent individuals. The demonstrators said they want due process for the undocumented immigrants who are just trying to make a living in America.
Signs read: “Leave our Neighbors Alone” and “Stop Pretending Racism is Patriotism.”
This is Ramon Lopez for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.