President Donald Trump’s administration remains committed to securing the homeland as promised during the president’s 2024 campaign.
Moreover, after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Trump looks as strong as he ever has.
Thus, with a popular president supporting them, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 11 dangerous Iranian nationals in two days, per CBS News.
The heightened focus on those specific individuals came after Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday.
In some respects, of course, the arrests of these particular Iranians represent a continuation of Trump administration efforts.
“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS. “We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
Those “worst of the worst” stand accused of crimes beyond illegal immigration. Indeed, five of the eleven have prior criminal convictions, including grand larceny and drug and firearm possession.
Connection to the Iranian military, however, made those arrests particularly noteworthy.
For instance, according to the DHS, Ribvar Karmi carried an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card on his person when federal agents arrested him in northern Alabama on Sunday.
ICE officials described Karmi as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021. Former President Joe Biden’s administration allowed Karmi into the United States on a marriage visa.
Likewise, according to ICE, Mehran Makari Saheli, arrested at his home near St. Paul, Minnesota, formerly belonged to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Small wonder, therefore, that federal immigration agents focused on the likes of Karmi and Saheli.
Meanwhile, with Trump clearly determined to avoid protracted hostilities in the Middle East, expect renewed focus on his domestic priorities.
On Tuesday morning, for instance, the president blamed both Israel and Iran for overnight violations of the ceasefire. In fact, speaking to reporters outside the White House, he showed his exasperation with both parties.
Then, on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump combined tough talk about Iran’s destroyed nuclear sites with optimism about that country’s economic future.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.24.25 07:34 AM EST pic.twitter.com/o0BJqylYdW
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 24, 2025
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.24.25 09:14 AM EST pic.twitter.com/0pfmzZfS9p
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 24, 2025
Furthermore, the threat of war did nothing to diminish the president’s standing with the public.
Last week, for instance, the reliable pollster Rasmussen Reports gave Trump a 56 percent approval rating in its overnight polling.
Trump Overnight Presidential Job Approval – is in.
Single overnight approval for last night: 55.96%
He remains unchanged today in the 5-day rolling average pic.twitter.com/VT30gYY394
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) June 18, 2025
In short, Trump has emerged from this Iran crisis looking like a statesman and a peacemaker. Expect his approval numbers to surge across the board.
Meanwhile, expect him to pursue his domestic agenda, including deportations, with renewed vigor and from a position of historic strength.
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