Friday - August 31, 2007
News from ICE: Immigration Raids
What do recent immigration raids from ICE teach us? Pay close attention to the yellow high lights class, as there will be a quiz afterwards.
Okay class, what did we learn from this press release? Well, first, all the arrested were nationals Mexico, 37 of them illegally here. And second? We learn that these aren't hard working aliens, instead, they criminals, often violent. What conclusions can we draw, class? Maybe, that we could cut our crime rate by securing our borders?58 gang members arrested in ICE-led multi-agency operation
CHICAGO - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents here, in close partnership with local law enforcement officers, arrested 58 Mexican nationals with ties to violent street gangs in the northern and northwest suburbs this week in the largest local dragnet targeting foreign-born street gang members.
These are the latest arrests under an ongoing national ICE initiative called "Operation Community Shield," in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Such law enforcement partnerships are essential to the success of the initiative and help ensure officer safety during the operations.
The multi-agency operation targeted foreign national gang members and gang associates in the northern and northwest suburbs, including the communities of Waukegan, Mundelein, and Round Lake. All those arrested this week are Mexican men who were targeted for their affiliations with violent street gangs such as the Latin Kings, Sureño-13s, and the Latin Lovers, among others. Of the 58 arrested, 37 are illegal aliens and 21 are U.S. permanent residents whose previous criminal convictions render them eligible for deportation.
Nationally, ICE agents have arrested more than 5,000 members from more than 500 different gangs under Operation Community Shield. Locally, ICE agents in Chicago have made more than 275 arrests since the Operation Community Shield was established in February 2005.
"Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout this area," said Elissa A. Brown, special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in Chicago. "We will not tolerate violent gang activity in our cities, and will use all of our law enforcement tools to thwart criminal efforts of gangs such as the Latin Kings. Operation Community Shield shows how ICE works with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal organizations and help protect our communities."
The U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, Lake County Sheriff's Department, and the Waukegan and Mundelein Police Departments assisted ICE in the enforcement effort, which began Sunday night and concluded Wednesday.
Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran added: "I commend ICE's efforts in working with local law enforcement to rid our streets of one of our biggest public safety threats - that being street gangs."
One of the men arrested by ICE agents earlier this week was Edgar Rodriguez-Tovar, a 23-year-old Sureño-13 member. Arrested Aug. 26 in Round Lake, Rodriguez-Tovar is an illegal alien from Mexico. He has prior criminal convictions for aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated battery. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation to Mexico.
ICE agents also arrested Mario Vargas-Hernandez Aug. 26 at his Waukegan residence. Vargas-Hernandez, 34, is a member of the Latin Kings with gang tattoos confirming his membership. Vargas-Hernandez, an illegal alien, has a burglary conviction and numerous arrests for unlawfully using a weapon, possessing a firearm, battery and aggravated assault. He remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.
Some of the crimes associated with the gang members arrested during this local operation include: aggravated battery, possessing a controlled substance, armed violence, possessing a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, drunken driving, mob action and burglary.
Six of those arrested had active warrants for their arrest and will be turned over to local authorities to face criminal charges. After those charges are resolved, they will be transferred back to ICE for deportation. Three of those arrested are being presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office for federal prosecution for re-entering the United States after having already been deported, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. ICE will process the remainder of those arrested for deportation.
195 illegal aliens arrested by ICE in Florida during two-week operation
MIAMI - One hundred ninety-five illegal aliens were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers assigned to the Florida Field Office of Detention and Removal following the culmination of a two-week operation which ended Friday. Last week alone there were 68 criminal aliens arrested in the Tampa, Miami and Orlando area. ICE deportation officers teamed up with ICE special agents assigned to the Tampa and Miami SAC Offices to execute the arrests.
Of those arrested, 115 were fugitive aliens who had due process under law and were ordered deported by an immigration judge. The fugitives chose to not comply with their lawful orders and remained in the country illegally.
Among the criminal aliens arrested was Carlyle Thompson, a 32-year-old Bahamian national who resided in South Florida. Thompson, who entered the country as a visitor for pleasure and remained in the country past his period of admission, was convicted of child abuse with injury in Jan. 2006.
Also arrested was 31-year-old Elvin Matos-Pelletier, a Dominican national convicted on March 28, 2007 of lewd and lascivious battery and lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor. Matos-Pelletier resided in the Orlando area.
Both Thompson and Matos-Pelletier have been charged with being in violation of immigration laws. They will remain in ICE custody awaiting the outcome of their case. The fugitives arrested during the operation face imminent deportation.
"Our officers and agents are working tirelessly every day to uphold the laws of our great nation," said Michael Rozos, field office director for the Office of Detention and Removal in Florida. "Those who think that they can circumvent the law are mistaken."
These arrests are part of an ongoing ICE effort to identify, arrest and remove those who pose a threat to our communities and who have no legal right to remain in the country.
Okay class, what did we learn? The way we dealt with illegal aliens in the past was insane, you say? Not holding them in jail until their deportation, but instead asking them to show up for their court hearing was a really, really bad idea. Now you are learning!
What else? You say that both men mentioned above, who simply ignored their deportation order are child molesters? Right again. What a smart bunch you are!
What is the lesson we should learn? You in the first row.... "That aliens considered for deportation should be held in jail until they are deported. That expecting them to show up for a deportation hearing is simply stupefying. And that if we were seriously enforcing our immigration laws, two children would have never been molested."
Why, you earn a gold star!
Trackposted to Pirate's Cove, Perri Nelson's Website, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Author: The Machiavellian
Technorati Tags: illegal immigration ICE
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