WASHINGTON (AP) — Operation Dirty Bag in Florida. Operation Catahoula Crunch, also known as Operation Swamp Clearance, took place in Louisiana. Maine’s catch of the day.
The way the Department of Homeland Security names its immigration enforcement operations, coupled with the strong and sometimes derisive tone of its official statements, has polarized opinions: Are the names funny or offensive? Reactions often depend on political affiliation and support for actions that primarily target black and brown communities.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., told The Associated Press the names sent a message that immigrants in the United States are “lower human beings.”
“That’s why they have those disgusting names,” said Gomez, a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Government officials “do not even use this language while conducting operations around the world against some of the worst terrorists imaginable.”
But Congressman Brendan Gill believes the names show President Donald Trump is no joke when it comes to controlling illegal immigration and securing the border.
“I think all he did was let them know that we still take this seriously,” the Texas Republican said. “We take border security seriously. We take deporting illegal aliens seriously.”
What’s in the name?
Historically, subtle U.S. military operations have been given names not with catchy nouns but with good intentions. Michael O’Hanlon, director of foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and the author of several books on U.S. military history and defense strategy, said that in times of war, operational names are those that can easily provide clues to people without being overheard by spies or seen on paper without arousing suspicion. He cited World War II-era programs such as Operation Market Garden and Operation Torch as examples.
In modern times, codenames are an opportunity for government agencies to demonstrate progress on a mission. For example, President George W. Bush frequently named operations after freedom themes. The name of the action is also an opportunity for a “victory dance.” The Trump administration named the 2025 lightning bombing campaign against Iran “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
“Sometimes, when they know they’re going to win and they want to show off their political interests, they sometimes use vain names like ‘Absolute Determination,’ just to convey that bravado,” O’Hanlon said. “But if you’re unsure about the prospects, you could try using a more generic or nondescript name so no one knows what the mission would be like if they heard about it beforehand.”
He added that in the case of recent immigration raids, the names conveyed “their motive, their purpose and therefore their rationale”.
The administration is also giving the same treatment to immigration detention facilities, including the Speedway Slammer in Indiana, the Cornhusker Clink in Nebraska and the Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot in Florida. They have been the basis for internet memes and online merchandise.
“They just seem to be trying to market their detention centers in a spoof way,” said Hector Diaz, a Miami immigration lawyer who has represented two dozen Hispanic clients detained in Florida.
‘Racist and insulting’
Operation Daily Capture, which ended last month in Maine, drew immediate backlash from Democratic lawmakers when its name was first announced. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree called the brand “racist and degrading” to Mainers as a whole, especially the state’s immigrant communities.
“This is a sick joke,” Pingree, the former Maine House speaker who is running for governor, posted on social media.
Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, Sheena Bellows, who is also running for governor, condemned “this bizarrely named operation,” warning that the Trump administration’s actions and messaging have chilled business and civic life in the state.
“When ICE agents patrol the streets and wrongfully arrest and incarcerate people, it makes people afraid to go out,” Bellows told The Associated Press.
State Democratic Sen. Joe Baldacci agreed: “This is not a specialty on a restaurant menu. This is people’s lives.”
But Jason Savage, executive director of the Maine Republican Party, said in an email that “complaining about the name of this operation is ridiculous and distracts from the absolute disaster these Democrats are allowing to happen in Maine.”
Supporters think flippant name shows Trump is serious
The name of the immigration operation also received backlash for drawing inspiration from pop culture. When the Trump administration launched an immigration sweep in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November, it borrowed its title from EB White’s best-selling 1952 children’s book “Charlotte’s Web.” Martha White said the author, her grandfather, would have hated such a reference because he “believed in the rule of law and due process.”
The names persisted even as some Trump officials suggested there could be limits on what federal agents could do in the wake of the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Goode and Alex Pretty in Minnesota and other allegations of wrongdoing by federal immigration officials.
Congressional Democrats have promised investigations into the conduct and potential abuses of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers, vowing to investigate the agency’s rhetoric and social media posts if they win control of both chambers this year.
Deb Gandhi, senior director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the operational designations would only exacerbate the damage caused by the government’s “unconstitutional racial profiling and reckless, irresponsible enforcement tactics.”
“America can have secure borders and effective immigration enforcement without Trump’s lawless cruelty and chaos,” Gandhi said.
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Don reported from Phoenix.
