Immigration enforcement captures hundreds in state (Arizona Republic)

Immigration enforcement captures hundreds in state
Lindsey Collom
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 11, 2008 12:00 AM

More than 600 undocumented immigrants were arrested across Arizona in recent days, about double the average for this time of year, according to officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Roughly 110 undocumented immigrants also were discovered Monday at separate suspected drophouses in the west Valley, capping nearly a week of large busts of human-smuggling loads throughout metro Phoenix.

Katrina S. Kane is director of ICE detention and removal operations in Arizona. She said that cooperation between ICE and local law-enforcement agencies is "making it much more difficult for human smugglers to avoid detection in the Phoenix area."

Activity in illegal immigration typically is at its highest through May, but January and February were "relatively slow," said Vincent Picard, with ICE in Phoenix.