Sanctuary State: ICE Arrests 150 Criminal, Previously Deported Illegal Aliens Across California

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrested 150 criminal and previously deported illegal aliens across the Los Angeles, California region this week.

ICE officials say about 40 percent of the illegal aliens arrested in the sweep had been previously released by state or local officials in accordance with California’s “sanctuary state” policy, which gives safe haven and shelter to all illegal aliens, including those with criminal convictions.

About 90 percent of the illegal aliens arrested by ICE had criminal convictions, including:

• A 36-year-old citizen of Mexico arrested in Huntington Beach, Calif. on Sept. 24, who had been arrested and released by local law enforcement agencies three times this year despite ICE having a detainer lodged. His convictions include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, failure to register as a sex offender, driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.

• A 39-year-old citizen of Mexico arrested in Orange, Calif. on Sept. 24, who has seven DUI charges in just over three years. ICE at least twice lodged detainers with local law enforcement agencies – however those holds were not honored, and she was released from custody to re-offend.

• A 54-year-old citizen of Mexico arrested in Riverside, Calif. on Sept. 24, who had been legally present in the U.S. Following convictions for DUI, assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful intercourse with a child he is now amenable for removal.

• A 47-year-old citizen of El Salvador arrested in Valencia, Calif. on Sept. 23, who had been legally present in the U.S. He failed to depart the country after an immigration judge ordered him removed in 2013 following convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, vehicle theft, battery, and driving under the influence. In 2014, he was arrested for first degree burglary and domestic violence. ICE lodged a detainer, but it was not honored. He was most recently re-arrested in 2018 for a charge of vandalism – ICE again lodged a detainer, and again it was not honored.

• A 33-year old citizen of Mexico arrested in Los Angeles on Sept. 23, who was convicted of four counts of lewd acts upon a child and sentenced to more than three years in prison. He is legally present in the U.S., but this conviction renders him amenable for removal to be determined by an immigration judge.

• A 39-year-old citizen of Mexico arrested in Garden Grove, Calif. on Sept. 24, who has prior convictions for vehicle theft and for possession of a controlled substance. He also has arrests for driving without a license and violating probation. He was previously returned or removed to Mexico seven times. ICE officers placed a detainer on him when he was last in custody, but it was not honored.

“The state laws preventing ICE from working in the jails is significantly impacting public safety by letting serious repeat offenders back out onto our streets,” ICE official Thomas Giles said in a statement.

“Our presence would be focused in the jails, rather than in the streets, and safer for all involved, if ICE could again coordinate transfers of criminal aliens with local jails,” Giles said.

ICE officials say all illegal aliens who were arrested in the raid who are not being criminally prosecuted will be deported from the U.S. Illegal aliens who were previously deported “are subject to immediate removal from the country,” ICE officials said.

The ICE operation spanned across Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County, and included 138 male illegal aliens and 12 female illegal aliens.

The vast majority of the illegal aliens arrested by ICE were from Mexico, 123, while others were from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Armenia, Canada, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Singapore, and the Philippines.

As Breitbart News reported, President Trump’s effort to enforce immigration law has spiked deportations and arrests of illegal aliens across the country.