2,400 illegal immigrants arrested last May (KPHO-AZ)

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2,400 illegal immigrants arrested last May
Updated: Jun 21, 2011 3:12 PM
By Emily Erwin

WASHINGTON (KPHO) -
Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that 2,400 illegal immigrants were arrested last May as a result of a seven-day "Cross Check" operation.

Last May, 24 ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices arrested illegal aliens with prior convictions from all 50 states. Twenty-two percent of those arrested had outstanding orders of deportation and had failed to leave the country. All of the criminal aliens taken into custody had prior convictions for crimes such as armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors, aggravated assault, theft, forgery and driving under the influence.

ICE is committed to focusing resources on those in the country illegally who have also broken laws.

"The results of this operation underscore ICE's ongoing focus on arresting those convicted criminal aliens who prey upon our communities, and tracking down fugitives who game our nation's immigration system," said ICE Director John Morton.

The seven-day operation was the largest of its kind and involved more than 500 ICE agents as well as collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and state and local law enforcement.

"This targeted enforcement operation is a direct result of excellent teamwork among law enforcement agencies who share a commitment to protect public safety," said Morton.

To date ICE has removed a record-breaking 109,700 illegal immigrants from the U.S. during the 2011 fiscal year, including more than 585 convicted of homicide and more than 3,177 convicted sex offenders.