Make America Safe Again: ICE Arrests Hundreds After 30-Day Operation

The United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has announced more than 300 people have been arrested following a 30-day operation.

The agency conducted the operation across several Midwestern states and arrested immigrants they knew have serious violations on their record which included: child sexual exploitation, rape, attempted murder, assault, burglary, and drug trafficking.

The Independent Journal Review reports 236 of the 364 people arrested were from Mexico and most of the others came from South America. Nearly 100 of the immigrants arrested (97) had illegally re-entered the U.S. after they were previously deported.

From ICE:

During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following states: Illinois (134), Indiana (52), Kansas (43), Kentucky (60), Missouri (42) and Wisconsin (33). Of the 364 arrested, 187 had criminal convictions. Eighteen women and 346 men were arrested.

Aliens arrested during this operation are from the following 25 countries: Belarus (1), Bosnia-Herzegovina (1), Burma (1), Colombia (1), Czech Republic (2), Dominican Republic (1), Ecuador (2), El Salvador (2), Germany (1), Guatemala (54), Guinea (1), Haiti (1), Honduras (40), India (6), Jordan (1), Lithuania (1), Mexico (236), Moldova (1), Nicaragua (1), Nigeria (3), Peru (2), Poland (1), Romania (1), Saudi Arabia (1) and Ukraine (2).

ICE arrests 364 criminal aliens and immigration violators in 30-day enforcement surge in 6 Midwestern states https://t.co/0trqgAU6jr pic.twitter.com/7gdvoWIT4R

— ICE (@ICEgov) August 31, 2018

And:

More than half of the aliens arrested by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: assault, attempted murder, burglary, child neglect, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, driving under the influence, drug possession, drug trafficking, fraud, hit and run, identity theft, illegal re-entry after deportation, indecent liberty with a minor, money laundering, obstructing justice, obstructing police, perjury prostitution, rape, sexual assault, theft, trespassing, and weapon offenses.

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Ricardo Wong, field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Chicago, said: “This operation targeted criminal aliens, public safety threats, and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. Operations like this reflect the vital work our ERO officers do every day to protect our communities, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws. We will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law. Communities are safer today because of the hard work done by the men and women of ERO.”

The Chicago area ICE ERO covers the states of Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

REPORT: ICE Arrests 364 in Massive Enforcement Operation, More Than Half Had Prior Criminal Histories https://t.co/3lNPM9lN20

— Dennis Michael Lynch (@realDennisLynch) September 1, 2018

Here’s more, from the IJR report:

This operation was just the latest of many in which President Donald Trump’s administration has targeted immigrants with criminal records.

Alongside Trump’s vigorous push for greater immigration enforcement, ICE has faced pushback from Democratic politicians and sanctuary jurisdictions which refuse to cooperate with detainer requests on certain immigrants.

Some, like gubernatorial candidate, Cynthia Nixon, have called for ICE’s abolition. The president and Vice President Mike Pence have made clear they stand behind their agents and see ICE as an important force for combatting crime.

Earlier this week, ICE also conducted a raid in Texas where they arrested more than 160 people:

ICE raid at Texas company nets more than 100 illegal immigrant arrests, officials say. https://t.co/cyKo4AhiTw

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 30, 2018

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested over 100 workers at a trailer manufacturing plant in the north Texas town of Sumner on Tuesday. https://t.co/a92pABdYdb

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 1, 2018