'Thank God They Got Him': NYC Resident Thrilled Trump, Homan Took Down Illegal Gang Banger Neighbor

Raids that removed 30 criminal illegal immigrants from New York City’s streets were met with applause from many in the crime-plagued Big Apple.

On Tuesday, newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem led operations that resulted in the arrest of about 30 individuals, including 25-year-old Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco. According to the New York Post, he was identified as a key figure in the Tren de Aragua gang, which had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, during the late summer of 2024.

The Post reported that residents living near the Bronx apartment where Zambrano-Pacheco was apprehended were unaware of his background.

One neighbor recalled that the Venezuelan gang leader was “doing his business right in the open … right in front of the building.” The resident added, “I know he didn’t have no papers, so I figured that was it, like he didn’t have to worry.”

A tenant of the building, who remained anonymous in the Post report, expressed shock and relief upon learning who had been living there.

“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.”

She added, “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.”

Residents also voiced support for President Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan’s commitment to making the city safer by targeting criminal illegal immigrants.

Evelyn Brown, 80, from the Bronx, was among those welcoming the crackdown.

“Get them the hell off the street! Get them the hell out of the street, so people don’t have to walk in fear,” she told the New York Post.

“Take the damn bad ones away!” she added.

Another local, who was not named, pointed to the open-border policies of former President Joe Biden as the root cause of the current situation.

“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?”

Jason Rodriguez, 41, from Jackson Heights, also approved of the crackdown, particularly against Tren de Aragua.

“It’s good to get Tren de Aragua off the streets because they’re dangerous. Trump should deport the criminals,” he said.

“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.”

Damso Vargas, 52, of Elmhurst, who became a U.S. citizen after emigrating from the Dominican Republic in 2001, emphasized the importance of respecting the country’s laws.

“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.”

He reminisced about how Roosevelt Avenue used to feel safe.

“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.

On Staten Island, Kevin Morales, 43, said that while he supports immigration, it should be for those who contribute to society.

“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 also reported that “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.”