Nearly 500 criminal illegal aliens were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a four-day operation in sanctuary city jurisdictions, which shield illegal aliens from deportation.
Known as Operation Safe City, ICE agents detained a total of 498 illegal aliens living in sanctuary cities who violated U.S. immigration laws; have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges; are known gang members, immigration fugitives; and those who re-entered the U.S. after already being deported, according to ICE officials.
Illegal aliens who are currently shielded from deportation by the Obama-created Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program were not targeted in the operation, though those individuals will become eligible for deportation as their temporary protected status expires over the next two years.
Of the illegal aliens arrested:
- 317 had criminal convictions
- 68 are immigration fugitives
- 104 are previously deported criminal aliens
- 18 are gang members or affiliates
The sanctuary cities targeted in the operation included:
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (107)
- Los Angeles, California (101)
- Denver, Colorado (63)
- Massachusetts statewide (50)
- New York City, New York (45)
- Portland, Oregon (33)
- Cook County, Illinois (30)
- Baltimore, Maryland (28)
- Santa Clara County, California (27)
- Washington, D.C. (14)
Acting ICE Director Tom Homan said in a statement that sanctuary cities’ protection of criminal illegal aliens is driving the federal agency to conduct focused operations in those major areas.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration,” Homan said. “As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities.”
“ICE’s goal is to build cooperative, respectful relationships with our law enforcement partners to help prevent dangerous criminal aliens from being released back onto the streets. Non-cooperation policies severely undermine that effort at the expense of public safety,” Homan said.
ICE provided a chart of all the criminal convictions by the illegal aliens arrested.
Criminal Conviction Total Criminal Conviction Total Aggravated assult 6 Illegal re-entry 5 Agg. assault public officer strong arm 2 Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child 2 Aggravated assault weapon 7 Invade Privacy 1 Amphetamine possession 3 Larceny 9 Amphetamine sell 1 Marijuana possession 1 Assault 13 Marijuana sell 1 Assault – Domestic Violence 2 Negligent manslaughter vehicle 1 Battery 4 Obstructing justice 1 Bribery 1 Peeping tom 1 Burglary 5 Possession of Cocaine 1 Carrying concealed weapon 2 Possession of Firearm 1 Cocaine possession 6 Possession of weapon 5 Cocaine sell 5 Prostitution 5 Contempt of court 1 Public order crimes 1 Controlled Substance 4 Rape 1 Counterfeiting 1 Receive stolen property 1 Cruelty toward child 4 Robbery strong arm 2 Cruelty toward wife 1 Robbery weapon 3 Damage property 3 Sex assault 4 Dangerous drugs 7 Sex offense against child/fondling 10 Disorderly conduct 7 Sex offense other 2 Domestic violence 12 Sexual exploitation of minor 1 Driving under influence 86 Shoplifting 2 Drug Possession 8 Simple assault 2 Drug trafficking 14 Stolen Property 1 Extort threat to injure person 1 Stolen vehicle 1 False citizenship 1 Theft of us government property 1 Forgery 2 Threat terroristic state offenses 1 Fraud 4 Threat to kidnap 1 Harassing communication 1 Traffic offense other 10 Heroin possession 1 Trespassing 3 Heroin sell 2 Vehicle theft 2 Identity theft 3 Weapon offense 11 Illegal entry 3 Total 317
Many of the illegal aliens arrested in the operation will face federal prosecutions for re-entering the U.S. after being deported, while others will be immediately removed.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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