ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is the DHS law‑enforcement agency that enforces federal immigration laws inside the United States. Its officers have statutory authority to question, arrest and—under certain statutes—detain noncitizens for immigration violations (see 8 U.S.C. §1357) and to detain some noncitizens pending removal proceedings (see 8 U.S.C. §1226). ICE also uses administrative arrest/removal warrants (Form I‑200/I‑205) and programs such as the Criminal Alien Program to identify, arrest and transfer removable noncitizens to ICE custody.
WOW.DHS.gov (“Worst of the Worst”) is a public DHS/ICE webpage that lists noncitizens ICE calls the “worst of the worst” — i.e., individuals ICE says were arrested and convicted of serious crimes. The page publishes names, country of origin, conviction(s), and arrest location and is intended by DHS to publicize ICE criminal‑enforcement actions.
ICE/DHS uses “criminal illegal alien” or “criminal alien” informally to mean a noncitizen who is removable and has been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses; it is an administrative/operational label rather than a single statutory category. ICE’s Criminal Alien Program explains the term as undocumented/removable aliens with criminal records targeted for identification, arrest and removal.
The 70% figure is a claim made in the DHS press release (Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s quote). DHS/ICE publishes enforcement statistics (ERO statistics dashboard and annual enforcement reports) but the press release does not cite a specific dataset or methodology identifying which arrests are counted or excluded; ICE statistics pages note different categories (administrative arrests, criminal arrests, removals, and fugitives) so the scope of the 70% claim is not independently documented in the release.
After an ICE arrest the typical steps are: (1) ICE takes the person into custody (using administrative arrest warrants I‑200 or I‑205 where applicable); (2) ICE places the person in immigration detention (ERO detention) or seeks transfer from criminal custody; (3) the individual may be placed into removal (deportation) proceedings before an immigration judge or, in some cases, referred for criminal prosecution in U.S. courts; (4) if removable, ICE executes removal once a final order is in place or arranges transfer to the home country. Detention and removal are governed by ICE/ERO policies and U.S. immigration statutes and regulations.
In Maryland a "third‑degree sex offense" refers to the Maryland state criminal statute under which certain sexual offenses are graded as third‑degree (often involving specific victim age ranges or circumstances); third‑degree sex offenses carry lower maximum penalties than first‑ or second‑degree sexual‑offense charges. (Exact elements and penalties depend on the Maryland criminal code and the specific offense charged in Wicomico County.)
DHS/ICE verify identity, nationality and criminal history using law‑enforcement checks and records: fingerprints and biographic data are checked against FBI and DHS databases, state criminal records and booking information; ICE uses electronic systems (biometrics, NCIC, IDENT/IAFIS) and coordination with local prosecutors/jails and foreign consular/records channels before publishing names and charges. Specific verification practices are set out in ICE guidance and CAP operational procedures.