The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported detaining 238 migrants in a one-day operation in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, describing it as the largest targeted enforcement action in the region. The operation, conducted on June 18 by the Harlingen Field Office with law enforcement support, was reported by Fox News on Wednesday.

The action came as President Donald Trump publicly backed traffic-stop-based immigration enforcement, calling it one of ICE’s most effective crime-fighting tools. This stance followed earlier reports that the Department of Homeland Security was considering suspending many such operations. ICE stated that several detainees had prior convictions for crimes including attempted kidnapping, sexual assault, and drug possession.

Harlingen Field Office Director Juan Agudelo said ICE would continue operations to strengthen public safety and uphold the integrity of the nation’s immigration system. Among those detained were Mexican nationals Manuel Morales-Heronimo, alleged to be a member of the “Paisas” gang, and Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza, both previously convicted of multiple offenses and illegal reentry.