Liberia, Jan. 19 -- Dozens of Liberian nationals convicted of serious crimes in the United States have been arrested in a sweeping series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and now face imminent deportation, with nine expected to arrive in Liberia on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the process.

The arrests are part of Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) targeting what officials describe as the "worst of the worst" criminal undocumented immigrants across several states, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

In a strongly worded statement, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs ...