(The Center Square) – Despite state opposition to arresting violent criminal foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and federal partners continue to apprehend them, including members of violent gangs and organized crime.

In one recent multi-agency interdiction effort spanning three days, ICE and multiple federal law enforcement partners arrested 44 people allegedly involved in illicit activities across six Central Valley counties spanning 210 miles. They include members of violent international gangs involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other violent crimes, according to ICE. Federal agents also apprehended convicted sex offenders who illegally reentered the U.S. after having been previously deported and illegal foreign nationals facing federal criminal charges for immigration and other violations.

ICE noted that “Local and state law enforcement agencies were not involved in the operation due to California Senate Bill 54, which restricts cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities,” adding that it “remains committed to working with its federal partners to combat organized crime and protect communities from violent criminal activity.”

In San Francisco, ICE agents working with FBI, DEA and others also conducted a multi-agency operation targeting Mexican cartel related narcotics and firearms distribution and other criminal threats in the South Lake Tahoe, California, region.

Among those targeted were Sureno and MS-13 gang members involved in drug and weapons trafficking with “convictions for possession for sale of narcotics or controlled substances, selling or modifying firearms, narcotics trafficking, DUI, false imprisonment, and possession of obscene material depicting minors in sexual conduct,” ICE announced. Those arrested face federal prosecution and removal from the U.S.

“Collaborative enforcement actions of this scale demonstrate a whole government approach with enhanced intelligence-driven investigations followed by coordinated law enforcement action,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Francisco acting Field Office Director Polly Kaiser said.

In Orange County, federal and local law enforcement officers also successfully targeted a Romanian organized ATM theft ring. ICE-Orange County agents, ICE’s Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, and multiple law enforcement partners, conducted county wide operations earlier this month.

Those arrested were conducting numerous unauthorized ATM transactions using counterfeit/cloned EBT cards at a range of financial institutions in Orange County, according to the investigation. ICE agents and local police identified and arrested 15 individuals on federal charges for the use/manufacturing of an access device with the intent to defraud as well as two state arrests.

Law enforcement officers also seized 42 counterfeit/cloned EBT cards and bulk U.S. currency. 

In San Diego, ICE agents arrested and removed an aggravated felon and Mexican national who was illegally in the country after having been previously removed from the U.S. at least seven times. Jose Antonio Garcia was convicted by the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2007 for attempted murder and evading a peace officer resulting in death or injury, according to ICE. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison. After his scheduled release from prison and Calipatria State Prison honored an ICE detainer request, he was deported for an eighth time.

San Diego ICE agents also arrested a Guatemalan citizen with a history of criminal offenses, including driving under the influence, hit-and-run causing death or injury, and conspiracy to file a fraudulent insurance claim. He illegally entered the U.S. after having been previously deported twice and remains in ICE custody pending his third removal.

Multiple Guatemalan nationals illegally living in the U.S. and arrested by ICE agents in Los Angeles were recently indicted for orchestrating a massive smuggling operation bringing roughly 20,000 Guatemalans into the U.S. illegally. One of the ring leaders also threatened to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and his family members, The Center Square reported.

(The Center Square) – States are bracing for higher costs for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program despite President Donald Trump’s promises of protection. 

S&P Global Ratings, one of the “big three” credit-rating agencies, said it expects funding gaps amid the uncertainty.

“Uncertainty surrounding the level of federal participation in the Medicaid and CHIP funding partnership could make states’ budgets more vulnerable to medical cost increases,” according to S&P Global. “Absorbing higher costs could also be more difficult during an economic downturn if revenue trends decline and Medicaid rolls increase.”

The reduction in federal spending contributions generally requires states to find alternative revenue sources, or even cut other programs to make up the difference.

S&P Global Ratings said Monday it considers Medicaid expenditures to be a nondiscretionary, fixed cost for most states, given that state-level Medicaid changes must remain compliant with all federal requirements to receive funding.

As a joint federal-state program that provides health care to low-income citizens, Medicaid is a significant portion of annual budgets for states that participate. Hence, states’ ability to adjust spending is limited unless they are granted waivers for Medicaid provisions.

“Overall, this shift in funding responsibilities could introduce downside credit risks for states if absorbing higher Medicaid costs strains their financial capacity, or if it is compounded by other structural budget pressures,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Tom Zemetis said.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to protect Medicaid and other social programs. 

“The Trump administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits,” the White House said earlier this month. “President Trump himself has said it (over and over and over again).”

Still, state governments urge him to maintain stability in his commitments to Medicaid’s funding structure in order to avoid disruptions in health care coverage for America’s vulnerable populations.

Crime remains a top concern in Louisiana, outpacing even economic worries for two years running, according to recent surveys. Yet, alongside this demand for safety, Louisianians overwhelmingly support a justice system that balances accountability with rehabilitation – 86% favor alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenses, and 65% want judges to have more sentencing discretion.

This week, I was proud to work with Smart on Crime Louisiana and the Pelican Institute to release The Future of Justice: A Conservative Vision to Enhance Public Safety in Louisiana, a report that charts a path forward to meet these dual priorities.

Conservatives know that rule of law matters, and crime should clearly have consequences. But toughness alone isn’t strength; it’s failure if offenders return to crime. Louisianians want a system that works – one that punishes but also restores. Our report proposes four pillars to achieve this: empowering law enforcement with transparency and accountability; using data to pinpoint effective programs; creating pathways for the formerly incarcerated to rejoin society; and reforming sentencing laws for fairness and fiscal responsibility. Here’s how lawmakers can act.

First, expand reentry and drug courts. These programs, proven to reduce recidivism, remain underutilized in Louisiana. Only 47.6% of judicial districts offer drug courts, and just 19% have reentry courtsn– lagging far behind neighbors like Alabama and Tennessee, where 100% of districts provide both. Alabama’s Pre-Release and Reentry Program, for instance, slashed recidivism from 30% to 4%, saving money and strengthening communities. For every dollar spent, drug courts return $2.21 – enough to hire a new police officer – or $3.36 for high-risk offenders, nearly a year’s school supplies for a classroom. Louisiana could fund these programs through targeted grants and training, ensuring every district can offer these pathways to redemption.

Second, adopt a felony classification system. With over 600 felony offenses, Louisiana’s current sentencing framework is a maze of inconsistencies. Stealing $4,950 worth of goods carries a five-year maximum, but $5,050 – barely $100 more – doubles that to 10. Louisiana’s neighbors show a better way: Arkansas sorts felonies into Classes Y through D, Florida ranks them from third-degree to capital, Tennessee uses A to E, and Texas spans state jail to first-degree levels – all structured systems inspired by clear models like the Model Penal Code. A tiered system, as urged by the 2018 Louisiana Felony Class System Task Force, would standardize penalties, cut disparities, and bring clarity and predictability to a system James Madison might have called too “voluminous” to read or “incoherent” to understand.

Third, improve data collection. In 2022, only 58% of Louisiana’s law enforcement agencies reported crime data to the FBI, with just 37% submitting a full year’s worth – placing the state behind 39 others. Better data, backed by training and annual reporting mandates, would show what’s working, where crime festers, and how to deploy resources smartly. Without it, we’re guessing in the dark.

Finally, address the overuse of fines and fees that many can never afford to pay and are a fiscally irresponsible way of funding the state’s courts. Louisiana’s 600-plus charges – funding judicial salaries and operations – also create an appearance of conflict, as seen in federal rulings like Caliste v. Cantrell and Cain v. White. Repealing obscure penalties, capping fees, and expanding ability-to-pay assessments would restore trust and fairness.

These reforms aren’t about going soft – they’re about getting smart. They uphold the rule of law while offering second chances, saving taxpayer dollars, and building safer neighborhoods. Louisiana can lead as a model of conservative justice: firm, fair, and forward-looking. Lawmakers should seize this moment to act. The full report is available at pelicanpolicy.org – let’s start the conversation today.

Jordan Richardson is a Visiting Scholar at the Pelican Institute and author of The Future of Justice.