U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers spent three days arresting 115 immigration law violators in southern California, but some targeted for arrest remain at large.
ICE listed two foreign citizens who remain at large. Both had been previously removed and are citizens of Mexico. One was previously convicted of statutory rape and the other is a known street gang member who was previously convicted of domestic violence.
One citizen of Kazakhstan and two Mexican nationals were specifically identified in the ICE release as among the 115 arrested.
“Depending on the alien’s criminal history, an alien who illegally reenters the United States, after having been previously removed, has committed a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison,” according to the ICE release. Fifty of those arrested are convicted criminals. ICE made 108 of the arrests in San Diego County. The remaining seven were arrested in Imperial County.
Four of those arrested face federal criminal prosecution for re-entering the United States after prior deportation. Some are being processed for removal or if under outstanding orders of removal, are subject to immediate removal. Others face an immigration hearing.
The release brought particular attention to the sanctuary policies of California:
While the vast majorities of cities in America do cooperate with ICE, state laws in California force ICE to focus additional resources to conduct at-large arrest in the community, putting officers, the general public and aliens at greater risk and increase the incidents of collateral arrests.
“This week’s operation targeted public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens, individuals with final orders of removal, those who illegally re-entered the country after being removed, and individuals who have otherwise violated our nation’s immigration law,” said San Diego field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, (ERO) Greg Archambeault.
Archambeault continued:
Operations like this reflect the vital work ERO officers do every day to protect the nation, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls. We will continue to conduct similar operations, while seeking to ultimately deport at-large criminal targets and other immigration fugitives who pose a threat to public safety.
The arrests come shortly after ICE enforcement actions in northern California that saw 232 taken into custody. Ahead of the arrests, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf got wind of the planned arrests and alerted the region. Among those who had been targeted for arrest, but who evaded capture and may still be on the streets of America, were illegal aliens previously convicted of crimes including sex with a child, sodomy, DUI, and armed robbery.
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