An Indian national was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the federal shutdown goes over 20 days now. ICE said its enforcement teams apprehended individuals convicted of serious crimes including rape, child sexual abuse, and drug trafficking. Those arrested included Varinder Singh, an Indian citizen convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Boston, Massachusetts.
“Despite the Democrats’ government shutdown, the brave men and women of ICE are working WITHOUT PAY and are STILL risking their lives to remove rapists, pedophiles and drug traffickers off of our streets,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Enough is enough. Democrats need to reopen the government, so our brave law enforcement can be paid,” she said in the official DHS statement.
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ICE has arrested numerous others on various charges. Another Indian national, identified as “Anmol” was arrested days ago for allegedly living illegally in the United States. The arrested man was holding a New York state commercial driver’s license (CDL) bearing the name “NO NAME GIVEN Anmol.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE officers encountered Anmol during a routine truck inspection at a weigh station on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma last month. He was arrested and removal proceedings began after investigation found his residence status as illegal. Anmol carried a Class A license, issued in April 2024 and valid until May 2028. The document also bore a “REAL ID” star, meaning it met federal identification standards.
DHS criticized New York authorities following this with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin saying, “Allowing illegal aliens to obtain commercial driver’s licenses to operate 18-wheelers and transport hazardous materials on America’s roads is reckless and incredibly dangerous.” McLaughlin also criticized New York’s licensing process, saying that the state “is failing to verify applicants’ citizenship or even record their full legal names.”
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The U.S. government shutdown has been going on following the failure of the Congress to pass funding legislation for the new fiscal year. This happened because of a deadlock between Republicans and Democrats over federal spending, particularly disagreements related to healthcare subsidies and proposed spending cuts. The Senate voted on a temporary funding bill intended to keep the government running through November but it failed to reach the 60 votes required to pass.
As a result of this many non-essential government services were halted, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed or worked without pay. Essential services such as Social Security payments, military operations, and air traffic control continued to operate. The shutdown highlighted ongoing partisan gridlock and created uncertainty about the resumption of normal government functions.