'Thank God They Got Him': NYC Resident Thrilled Trump, Homan Took Down Illegal Gang Banger Neighbor
Raids that took 30 criminal illegal immigrants off the streets of New York City drew cheers from many across the crime-riddled Big Apple.
On Tuesday, raids led by newly minted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rounded up about 30 people, including Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 25, who was reported to have been a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang members who took over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, in the late summer of 2024, according to the New York Post.
The Post noted that neighbors who lived near the Bronx apartment building where Zambrano-Pacheco was arrested did not know his identity.
#Developing Now. #DEANewYork, along with our @thejusticedept partner, @ATFNewYork, as well as other federal law enforcement partners are assisting DHS with their immigration enforcement efforts. @dhsgov @thejusticedept @deahq pic.twitter.com/1r6PdOBhmS
— DEANewYork (@DEANEWYORKDiv) January 28, 2025
One noted that the Venezuelan gang leader was “doing his business right in the open … right in front of the building. I know he didn’t have no papers, so I figured that was it, like he didn’t have to worry.”
A resident of the building, whose name was not used by the Post, expressed her relief.
“Oh God,” she said. “They got him though, right? Oh my God. I had no idea that’s who was living in my building. Oh, thank God they got him.”
“I’ve lived here many years, and I have never seen him come in or out of the building. He had good, slicked-back hair. He had a real angry expression on his face,” she said.
Others also said making their city safer by rounding up illegal immigrant criminals as President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan have promised was welcome.
“Get them the hell off the street! Get them the hell out of the street, so people don’t have to walk in fear,” Evelyn Brown, 80, of the Bronx said, according to the New York Post.
“Take the damn bad ones away!” she said.
A resident whose name was not used by the Post noted that the raids are a consequence of the open borders policy of former President Joe Biden.
“Too many people came over the border at once, and now it has to be a whole operation,” he said.
“I don’t want dangerous people on the street, especially if we’re paying for it. People getting hurt on the street. Why should they get a pass?” he said.
Jason Rodriguez, 41, of Jackson Heights said, it was “good to get Tren de Aragua off the streets because they’re dangerous. Trump should deport the criminals.”
“Their jails in their own countries are a lot worse than here. They don’t care about being locked up here, so they should be deported,” he said.
Just now.
Enforcement operation in NYC. Criminal alien with kidnapping, assault & burglary charges is now in custody – thanks to @ICE.
Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets. pic.twitter.com/fRpJBdmqSl
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 28, 2025
Damso Vargas, 52, of Elmhurst, who became a citizen after leaving the Dominican Republic in 2001, said there is a price for entering America.
“If you come to this country, you need to show respect and work hard. You don’t come here to do gang bulls***,” Vargas said. “If you come to my country, I’d expect you to do the right thing.”
“I remember in 2010, you could walk around Roosevelt Avenue and enjoy yourself, but now I’m scared to walk around because there are a lot of newly arrived migrant criminals,” he said.
Over on Staten Island, Kevin Morales, 43, said immigrants are fine, if they work.
“Listen, there’s too many people here that aren’t looking to make a better life for themselves. Instead they are robbing, shooting and raping. Those are not the kind of immigrants we want here,” he said.
“I’m an immigrant and come from a family of immigrants, but we work. We came here to work and make a better life for our children.”
The Post reported, “ICE officials said there have been 1,179 arrests and 853 detainers for deportation lodged Monday, and carried out 956 arrests while issuing 554 detainers Sunday leading up to Tuesday’s New York raids.”
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