Federal immigration authorities arrested more than 1,200 illegal immigrants in the Atlanta, Georgia, area during a major enforcement operation, with 720 of those arrested having been convicted of or charged with crimes, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Speaking on “Fox & Friends,” Marcos Charles, executive associate director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, said the operation targeted criminal illegal immigrants, including people accused or convicted of sex offenses, child abuse, assault, domestic violence and DUI offenses.

“We arrested over 1,200 aliens, illegal aliens, out in the Atlanta, Georgia area. More than half of those people had criminal histories,” Charles said.

He said the arrests included individuals with serious criminal records who, according to authorities, were considered a threat to public safety.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Safe Community – Atlanta,” was carried out by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division as part of a broader nationwide immigration enforcement effort.

Among those arrested was a Mexican national with previous convictions for conspiracy to possess at least 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and driving while intoxicated, DHS said.

Authorities also identified an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who had previously been arrested on allegations including domestic battery and family violence, cruelty to children, disorderly conduct and driving while intoxicated.

The Atlanta operation comes amid a sharp increase in immigration arrests nationwide. ICE recorded approximately 51,000 immigration arrests in July, which the agency described as its highest monthly total ever, surpassing the roughly 43,000 arrests reported in June.

Charles said ICE has also changed its enforcement tactics in response to protests and attempts to interfere with immigration arrests.

“We’ve adapted to that, not only with additional training, but we’ve adapted our methodology on how we conduct these enforcement efforts and our arrest methods,” he said.

The latest crackdown comes as ICE officers face growing scrutiny and threats over the agency’s immigration enforcement operations. DHS has previously reported a significant increase in death threats against ICE personnel.

Federal officials say the enforcement campaign will continue across the country, with a focus on locating and removing illegal immigrants who have criminal records.