ICE Arrests Illegals, Many With Criminal Records (The Bulletin)

ICE Arrests Illegals, Many With Criminal Records

By Michael P. Tremoglie, The Bulletin
10/29/2008

Officers of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced yesterday that its Philadelphia fugitive operations teams arrested 37 fugitives, including 14 with criminal records, during operations beginning Oct. 14 and ending this past Saturday.

An immigration fugitive is an alien who has failed to leave the United States after receiving a final order of removal from an independent immigration judge or who has failed to report to a Detention and Removal Officer after receiving notice to do so.

During the operation an additional 62 immigration violators were arrested, 27 with criminal histories. The non-fugitive immigration violators arrested during this operation have been charged with immigration violations, placed in removal proceedings and will appear before an independent immigration judge from the Department of Justice.

All of the arrests occurred in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The criminal records included arrests for homicide, robbery, aggravated assault with a weapon, parole violations and possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

Specific examples of fugitive aliens arrested by the Philadelphia Fugitive Operations Teams during this operation include:

* A Mexican citizen arrested in Dover, Del., who was convicted of first-degree murder in Maryland in 2006. This case was presented to the US Attorney's Office, District of Delaware, for the alleged offense illegal entry;

* A Dominican fugitive and former Legal Permanent Resident who was arrested in Philadelphia. He was previously deported on Sept. 15, 2004 because of criminal convictions and illegally re-entered the United States again. The case was accepted by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for violation of re-entry after deportation;

* A Nigerian fugitive arrested in Philadelphia who had convictions for aggravated assault, simple assault and retail theft;

* A Dominican fugitive was arrested in Philadelphia who had arrests for possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and knowingly possessing a controlled substance;

* A woman from the Cayman Islands was arrested in Hellertown, who had multiple convictions for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, robbery, aggravated assault with a weapon, parole violation and for a criminal attempt at fraud;

* A Belarus fugitive was arrested in Philadelphia, who had three arrests for driving under the influence as well as an arrest for retail theft.

"This was a concerted effort by our offices and local law enforcement officials to target, arrest and remove the most dangerous illegal aliens who entered our country and act with blatant disregard for our laws," said Thomas Decker, field office director for ICE Office of Detention and Removal in Philadelphia. "We are a law enforcement agency charged with protecting our community from criminal aliens and the integrity of the nation's legal immigration system."

Fugitive operations teams from Philadelphia, New York City and Newark, N.J. arrested 384 illegal aliens during the two-week sting.

In addition to the arrests made in Pennsylvania and Delaware, 145 fugitives were arrested in New Jersey, 65 with criminal records. An additional 44 immigration violators were arrested, 22 of whom had criminal histories.

Ninety fugitives were arrested in New York City by ICE officers, including 46 with criminal histories. Six other immigration violators were arrested, all with criminal histories.

Michael P. Tremoglie can be reached at mtremoglie@thebulletin.us