Deportation officers arrested 225 immigrants in a targeted sweep in New York City and the surrounding area, officials announced Tuesday, saying they had to go out into communities because so many localities are refusing to help Homeland Security identify illegal immigrants in their prisons and jails.

At least 60 of the people U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested in last week’s enforcement had been released by local police despite being sought by ICE officers.

“ICE continues to face significant obstacles with policies created by local officials which hinder cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement,” said Thomas R. Decker, director of ICE’s deportation office in New York, who said the operation nonetheless “was a great success.”

Among those nabbed were migrants with rape, manslaughter, firearms and drunken-driving convictions, or who landed on the sex offender registry because of their criminal history.

These sorts of enforcement actions out in the community have drawn fierce pushback from immigrant-rights activists who say they spread fear among immigrants.

A similar sweep in northern California earlier this year sparked retaliation by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who issued a public warning telling illegal immigrants ICE agents were closing in, giving them a chance to escape. Federal officials later said more than 800 people likely escaped because of the warning.

ICE says the targeted enforcement operations take dangerous criminals off the streets, which makes all communities safer.

ICE officials also say that if they were allowed back into jails to arrest migrants there, they wouldn’t have to go out into communities as often, which would protect officers and reduce any discomfort communities feel by seeing federal officers in their neighborhoods.

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