Federal immigration agents arrested 53 Dominican nationals during a raid at a construction site in Puerto Rico, officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed. The operation took place at the Hotel La Concha Renaissance in Condado, a popular area just north of San Juan.
Construction Site Raid Leads to Dozens in Custody
According to Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI’s special agent in charge in San Juan, the individuals were working for a private construction company at the time of the arrest. None of them had proper identification, and many admitted to being in the U.S. without legal immigration status.
After the arrests, the workers were transported to immigration facilities in San Juan for processing. González-Ramos stated that the raid was part of ongoing inspections aimed at making sure businesses are not employing undocumented workers.
Investigations May Lead to Criminal Charges
Authorities are currently reviewing the case to determine if any of the individuals violated federal laws beyond immigration issues. If so, they could face criminal charges in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“We’re looking into whether anyone committed a criminal offense, and if so, we’ll act accordingly,” González-Ramos said. So far this year, HSI has carried out 238 business inspections in Puerto Rico.
Rise in Arrests of Undocumented Immigrants
The number of undocumented immigrants detained in Puerto Rico has gone up since the Trump administration began stricter immigration enforcement. According to González-Ramos, before the May 8 raid, 364 individuals without legal status had already been arrested in Puerto Rico in 2025.
Of those, 67 people were charged with serious crimes, including one person who had already been deported before. However, officials have not shared how many of the 364 have been released or are facing court proceedings as first-time offenders.
Nationalities of Those Arrested
The majority of those detained in Puerto Rico this year are from the Dominican Republic. Here’s a breakdown of the 364 undocumented individuals arrested so far in 2025:
- 245 from the Dominican Republic
- 31 from Haiti
- 16 from Venezuela
- 12 from Mexico
- 9 from Brazil
- 6 from China
Dominican Consulate Responds
César Julio Cedeño Ávila, the Consul General of the Dominican Republic in Puerto Rico, confirmed that he has spoken with the arrested individuals. He also verified that none of them had legal immigration status. He urged Dominicans planning to move to Puerto Rico to pursue legal immigration pathways to avoid facing similar situations.