A United States Border Patrol truck sits in the shadow of the border fence in Nogales, Ariz. (pictured in 2019). ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations said Thursday it recently conducted a nationwide crackdown that ran from January 16th to the 28th, resulting in 171 arrests. File Photo by Art Foxall/UPI | License Photo
Authorities have arrested 171 immigrants who they say were in the country illegally and are facing pending charges or convictions for crimes including murder and assault against children, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Thursday.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted a nationwide crackdown that ran from January 16th to the 28th. Advertisement
“The results of this weeklong effort are a testament to ERO’s commitment to protecting the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws,” said ICE Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Patrick J. Lechleitner. “Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel are committed to enforcing the nation’s immigration laws humanely, effectively, and with the highest standards of professionalism.”
The arrests included a 53-year-old El Salvadoran citizen in Tacoma, Wash., who was convicted of felony child molestation in the first degree, child molestation in the second degree, and rape of a child in the third degree. Advertisement
Officials also arrested a 27-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Los Angeles, who was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 and possession of obscene matter of a minor in a sexual act.
ICE reported that additional apprehensions included:
- A 45-year-old citizen of Mexico in Dallas, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and currently under criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry into the United States after removal.A 35-year-old citizen of Mexico in Chicago, convicted of sexual assault of a child in the 2nd degree.A 32-year-old citizen of Mexico in Denver, convicted of Murder 1 and two convictions of illegal re-entry into the United States.A 21-year-old citizen of Mexico in Chicago, convicted of child pornography and possessing a visual reproduction on computer of a person younger than 13.A 49-year-old citizen of Mexico in El Paso, Texas, convicted of sexual assault.
“ICE focuses on the arrest of noncitizens who have committed crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” a statement from ICE said. “ICE officers, informed by their experience and training, use their inherent discretion as law enforcement officials to focus enforcement resources on those who pose a threat to national security, public safety, or border security. These efforts include noncitizens with final orders of removal.” Advertisement
Some of the immigrants who were arrested could be referred to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office to face federal criminal prosecution if their crimes warrant it, the statement said.
ICE said in March that it shifted priorities under President Joe Biden’s administration to focus on apprehending felons, leading to an overall decrease in the overall number of arrests but an increase in serious-offender apprehensions.
ICE reported making arrests of 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories in fiscal year 2023.
In another immigration matter Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that migrants who were recorded on video assaulting two police officers over the weekend in Times Square also should be deported.
“Get them all and send them back,” she said in response to the assaults. “You don’t touch our police officers. You don’t touch anybody.”
On Saturday night, New York City police officers tried to disperse a crowd on 42nd Street when a group of suspected migrants attacked the officers. Five of the seven suspects who have been arrested were arraigned and released on their own recognizance, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said, a move Hochul criticized.
