U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the enforcement action against Mariama Sia Kanu, a Sierra Leonean national convicted of homicide, as part of an ongoing federal operation to remove foreign nationals with serious criminal records.

Kanu, who has been subject to a final order of removal since July 5, 2022, was taken into custody by ICE agents in Minnesota.

According to agency records, her criminal history includes convictions for two counts of homicide, four counts of driving under the influence (DUI), three counts of larceny, and burglary.

Her arrest is part of a series of recent actions taken by federal immigration authorities regarding Sierra Leonean nationals. Since March 2025, ICE has intensified efforts to repatriate individuals from Sierra Leone who have violated U.S. immigration laws, particularly those with violent criminal histories or convictions involving fraud.

On March 31, 2025 Abdul Dukuray was removed after convictions for murder and weapons possession. Earlier, on March 1, Prince Solomon Knox, 62, was deported following convictions for visa fraud and domestic assault. U.S. authorities stated Knox had falsely denied past affiliations with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), an armed group in Sierra Leone’s civil war, on his visa application.

ICE Director Todd M. Lyons affirmed the agency’s focus on arresting and removing noncitizens with criminal convictions. “ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” Lyons stated.