Immigration enforcement agents arrest 20 in raids of Kalamazoo-area homes, restaurants and businesses (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Immigration enforcement agents arrest 20 in raids of Kalamazoo-area homes, restaurants and businesses
Published: Thursday, March 03, 2011, 3:56 PM
Updated: Thursday, March 03, 2011, 9:23 PM
Chris Killian | Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette

KALAMAZOO – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrapped up a four-day operation in and around the city of Kalamazoo Wednesday that targeted undocumented immigrants who are criminals or had failed to leave the country after being told to by federal authorities.

Twenty undocumented immigrants – all men – were arrested by ICE agents since the operation began Sunday, said Khaalid Walls, spokesman for the agency’s Detroit field office. Fifteen of those arrested were from Mexico; others were from China and Nigeria.

Agents raided homes, restaurants and other businesses, Walls said. The men, ranging in age from 22 to 53, are all currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Calhoun County. They will either be deported soon or go before an immigration judge, depending on their circumstances, he said.

“This was a targeted operation, not a raid or a dragnet,” Walls said.

Domestic violence, burglary, narcotics possession and drunken-driving convictions were some of the crimes committed by those who were arrested, Walls said.

Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said he was not aware of the ICE operation, but added: “If they are ridding our community of bad people, regardless of who they (the agency) are, we’re obviously for that.”

Hadley said his officers don’t actively search for undocumented immigrants living and working in the city. His department doesn’t have the jurisdiction or the capacity to do such investigative work, he said.

The federal government usually handles illegal immigration issues, such as investigation, prosecution and deportation work.

Hadley said he knows issues like undocumented immigration – and the raids that sometimes occur – affects the city’s more than 5,000 member Hispanic community hard.

“It s a touchy issue, especially in this (the Hispanic) community,” he said.

But regardless of the immigration status of the 20 men arrested, the city will now have fewer criminals walking the streets, Hadley said.

“We wouldn’t want them here anyway, regardless of who they are,” he said.