More than a thousand illegal immigrants were arrested throughout California, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Tuesday. The immigrants have been removed from the United States or are facing deportation following the largest special enforcement operation ever carried out by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams in California.
During the three-week enforcement surge, which concluded Saturday, ICE officers located and arrested a total of 1,157 immigration violators throughout the state.
Nearly a third of the immigrants arrested also had criminal histories, in addition to being in the country illegally.
“Individuals who defy immigration court orders to leave the country need to understand there are consequences for willfully disregarding the law. ICE is committed to enforcing these outstanding deportation orders and strengthening the integrity of our nation’s immigration system,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers, who oversees ICE, in a news release.
ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams are tasked with identifying and arresting foreign nationals who have ignored final orders of deportation or have returned to the United States illegally after being removed. The teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety, including child sex exploiters, suspected gang members, and those who have convictions for violent crimes.
Among those arrested by the Fugitive Operations Teams was a Mexican national whose criminal history includes prior convictions for lewd acts involving a child as well as battery. Also arrested during the special enforcement operation was a previously deported 47-year-old Mexican national with a prior conviction for selling heroin.
“The deployment of more Fugitive Operations Teams, together with enhancements in our ability to track leads in these cases, have resulted in the arrest of record numbers of immigration fugitives this year and we expect that trend to continue,” said Secretary Myers.
The Fugitive Operations Program was established in 2003 to eliminate the nation’s backlog of immigration fugitives. Today, ICE has 95 teams in places across the country, including 17 in California.
During the three-week enforcement surge, which concluded Saturday, ICE officers located and arrested a total of 1,157 immigration violators throughout the state.
Nearly a third of the immigrants arrested also had criminal histories, in addition to being in the country illegally.
“Individuals who defy immigration court orders to leave the country need to understand there are consequences for willfully disregarding the law. ICE is committed to enforcing these outstanding deportation orders and strengthening the integrity of our nation’s immigration system,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers, who oversees ICE, in a news release.
ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams are tasked with identifying and arresting foreign nationals who have ignored final orders of deportation or have returned to the United States illegally after being removed. The teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety, including child sex exploiters, suspected gang members, and those who have convictions for violent crimes.
Among those arrested by the Fugitive Operations Teams was a Mexican national whose criminal history includes prior convictions for lewd acts involving a child as well as battery. Also arrested during the special enforcement operation was a previously deported 47-year-old Mexican national with a prior conviction for selling heroin.
“The deployment of more Fugitive Operations Teams, together with enhancements in our ability to track leads in these cases, have resulted in the arrest of record numbers of immigration fugitives this year and we expect that trend to continue,” said Secretary Myers.
The Fugitive Operations Program was established in 2003 to eliminate the nation’s backlog of immigration fugitives. Today, ICE has 95 teams in places across the country, including 17 in California.
Friends Read Free