A submitted photo to the OBSERVER shows large numbers of individuals leaving a bus in the city of Dunkirk in the last two years.

It appears the north county has been a target for members of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week.

Even before U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy came to Mayville to voice his support for the Trump administration’s decision to go after criminals who are not citizens living in the United States, federal agents were reported in Dunkirk via social media. Late Tuesday, Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone said he learned that federal investigation officers were in the city on Monday and Tuesday but had no further information.

During his stop this week in Chautauqua County, Langworthy was critical of New York state’s sanctuary policies. “They’ve been a magnet for illegal immigration to take advantage of taxpayer funded meals, taxpayer funded health care, and even debit cards given to them because they had the audacity to come here to New York,” he said.

New York state officials also are backing the concerted effort taking place nationwide. “I commend President Trump for honoring his pledge to protect Americans by taking decisive action to remove dangerous, illegal criminals from our communities. Under his leadership, federal authorities are arresting and deporting murderers, rapists, kidnappers, and other violent offenders from Buffalo to the Big Apple,” said State Sen. Robert Ortt. “Meanwhile, Albany Democrats have squandered billions of taxpayer dollars to shelter violent criminals and tied the hands of local law enforcement, jeopardizing the safety of New Yorkers. It’s time we end our dangerous sanctuary policies and help President Trump restore safety, justice, and accountability to our state and nation.”

Over the weekend, top Trump administration officials, including “border czar” Tom Homan and the acting deputy attorney general, visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcement in the nation’s third-largest city as federal agencies touted arrests around the country.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it made 956 arrests nationwide on Sunday and 286 on Saturday. While some of the operations may not have been unusual, ICE averaged 311 daily arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said he observed immigration agents from the DHS along with agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He didn’t offer details on the operation, which came days after DHS expanded immigration authority to agencies in the Department of Justice, including the DEA and ATF.

“We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities,” Bove said in a statement. “We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland. Most importantly, we will not rest until the work is done.”

Other raids took place on Tuesday. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined federal agents Tuesday in New York City to announce the arrests of immigrants wanted on criminal charges, including a man accused of kidnapping who was seen on a viral video entering a Colorado apartment with reputed gang members.

“Arresting some criminal aliens this morning in NYC — thank you to the brave officers involved,” Noem posted on X. “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.”

Staff writer Gregory Bacon and the Associated Press contributed to this report.