ICE arrests 170 criminal aliens in sanctuary cities

Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday announced the arrest of more than 170 criminal illegal aliens in sanctuary city jurisdictions throughout the United States.

ICE authorities arrested criminal aliens in Seattle, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., in a targeted enforcement operation that began on Oct. 3 and ended Oct. 9. According to a press release from ICE, the law enforcement actions were directed at illegal aliens who were arrested for crimes and had immigration detainers but were nevertheless released by state or local law enforcement agencies. ICE said more than 80% of those arrested had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of their arrest.

"Last fiscal year, 86 percent of people arrested by ICE had criminal convictions or pending charges. ICE focuses its resources on those who pose the greatest threat to public safety. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to keep these individuals off the streets," acting DHS Secretary Chad F. Wolf said. "The Department will continue to carry out lawful enforcement actions in order to keep our communities safe, regardless of whether or not we have cooperation from state and local officials. Politics will not come before safety when enforcing the law and keeping our citizens safe."

The ICE statement notes that in the New York City area alone, authorities arrested nearly 50 illegal aliens with histories of crime including sexual assault, sex crime, assault, robbery, larceny, family neglect, and DUI.

Among those arrested include a 29-year-old Mexican citizen who was convicted in 2018 of illegally re-entering the United States and convicted in October 2020 on charges of menacing-real/simulated weapon, child abuse, and violation of bail bond conditions; a 64-year-old Panamanian citizen convicted in 2010 of sexual conduct against a child in the 2nd degree; a 61-year-old citizen of Peru convicted in 2016 of a criminal sex act in the 3rd degree involving a victim younger than 17 years old; and a 25-year-old Guatemalan citizen arrested for commercial sex abuse of a minor in February 2019 who had previously been removed from the United States in 2013 and illegally re-entered the country.

This operation follows the arrest of 128 at-large illegal aliens last week in sanctuary city jurisdictions in California.

"ICE continues to protect communities by taking criminal aliens off the streets regardless of any locality's cooperation policies – which is part of our Congressionally mandated mission," ICE senior official Tony H. Pham said. "Officers and agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are sworn federal law enforcement officers who enforce U.S. immigration laws created by Congress to keep this country safe."