DHS launches 'Worst of the Worst' webpage; Amos Yee among nearly 10,000 facing deportation

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on 9 December, 2025, launched a new public webpage titled “Worst of the Worst,” detailing the arrests and planned deportations of nearly 10,000 criminal illegal immigrants.

The webpage, part of a broader enforcement campaign revived under the Trump administration, includes names, mugshots, crimes committed, and states where the individuals were arrested.

According to a DHS statement, the tool is intended to offer transparency and allow members of the public to “see for themselves” the severity of crimes committed by individuals unlawfully residing in the United States.

The DHS has stated the page will be regularly updated.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the website aims to counter narratives that “whitewash the facts” about violent offenders. “Americans don’t have to rely on the press for this information,” she said. “They can see for themselves what public safety threats were lurking in their neighbourhoods.”

The launch coincides with a rise in tensions between federal immigration authorities and so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. These jurisdictions often decline to hold individuals for deportation after their release from local custody.

“Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations — starting with the worst of the worst,” the webpage declares.

The initial database includes over 10,000 names and highlights individuals with convictions for serious crimes such as homicide, assault, rape, drug trafficking, child molestation, and armed robbery.

High-profile arrests showcased on the page include individuals from El Salvador, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Laos. Among them is Geilond Vido-Romero, a member of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua.

McLaughlin also criticised what she described as “malicious lies and hoaxes” from mainstream media that allegedly downplay the threat posed by undocumented immigrants with violent criminal histories.

She praised ICE agents for continuing enforcement operations during the holiday season, stating, “While Americans across the country were enjoying their weekends and holiday shopping, ICE law enforcement was hard at work arresting paedophiles, gang members, and drug traffickers.”

The renewed emphasis on enforcement comes amid rising assaults on ICE officers, which DHS claims have increased over 1,100 percent in recent years.

Among those featured on the site is Singaporean Amos Yee, now aged 27. Yee, who was granted asylum in the US in 2017, is facing deportation following his conviction for child pornography and grooming a minor.

Yee was sentenced to six years in prison in 2021 after being found guilty of soliciting explicit images and engaging in sexual communications with a 14-year-old girl. According to court records, he used WhatsApp to lure the victim and distributed images of her online.

He was granted parole in October 2023 but was sent back to prison a month later after publishing blog posts promoting paedophilia. One post reportedly stated that he aimed to “make defending paedophiles popular.”

He is the only Singaporean featured in the current database, which covers arrests across all 50 US states.

Singaopre authorities have confirmed that if Yee is returned, he will face charges under the Enlistment Act for failing to report for medical screening and staying abroad without an exit permit.

The Ministry of Defence stated that these offences could lead to up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to S$10,000, or both, if convicted.