In a nationwide raid conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), agents detained 220 undocumented immigrants who committed serious crimes or had criminal records, between March 4 and 13, ICE reported Friday in a statement.
The operation focused on foreigners with convictions for crimes such as murder, domestic violence, rape or sexual abuse, robbery, and drug distribution or trafficking, among others.
Immigrants convicted of misdemeanors or DUI violations were also targeted by ICE agents.
The agency noted that among those detained is a 65-year-old Mexican, convicted in 1981 in Los Angeles of second-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
In Chicago, a 64-year-old Mexican was arrested, convicted in March 2022 for a felony of aggravated sexual abuse against a victim under 13 years of age.
A 33-year-old Nicaraguan, convicted in January 2009 of felony robbery, was arrested in Miami, where a 20-year-old Cuban convicted of second-degree murder was also arrested.
In New York, a 50-year-old Salvadoran was arrested, convicted in May 2022 for a serious crime of sexual abuse of a person under 11 years of age.
Thomas Giles, director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ERO) in Los Angeles, where 25 aliens were detained, said the arrests “should be a clear warning that if you choose to ignore our nation’s laws, we will continue to work tirelessly to find and remove” offenders.
For his part, the associate director of ERO, Corey A. Price, explained that his agents “weigh various factors during targeting and detention to ensure that we are applying the immigration laws of the United States humanely, effectively and with the maximum professionalism”.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 aliens with criminal records for deportation.
Keep reading:
• The three groups of undocumented immigrants who will be affected by the express deportations that ICE is already executing
• ICE ensures that there are no “raids” and calls 90% of its detainees “criminals”
• The United States restricts raids and detentions of immigrants in “protected areas”