Federal immigration officers arrested 54 illegal aliens in the New York City Metropolitan Area and Nassau, Suffolk, Dutchess, Ulster and Westchester counties, removing rapists and gangsters from the streets who were sheltered by sanctuary city policies.
“ICE continues to protect communities by taking criminal aliens off the streets regardless of any locality’s cooperation policies – which is part of our congressionally mandated mission,” said ICE Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tony H. Pham.
“Officers and agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are sworn federal law enforcement officers who enforce U.S. immigration laws created by Congress to keep this country safe,” he said.
Agents with Enforcement and Removal Operations, a division of ICE, conducted the sweep for criminal illegal aliens from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9.
Of the 54 illegals who were arrested, 52 have criminal histories in addition to illegally entering the United States.
Sanctuary jurisdictions previously released more than 30 criminal illegal aliens, despite ICE’s active immigration detainer requesting their transfer into federal custody.
New York arrested and charged these illegal aliens with crimes such as “assault, sexual assault against a child, lewd and lascivious acts upon a child, rape, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, criminal possession of stolen property, driving while intoxicated, robbery and grand larceny.”
Yet sanctuary city policies forced law enforcement agencies to put the criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets.
There were eight illegal aliens who had already been deported and another five with active deportation orders.
Two people are gang members and one is a fugitive from law in a foreign nation.
“Let us not gloss over the fact that the vast majority of the individuals arrested during this operation have criminal histories,” said Thomas R. Decker, ICE ERO New York field office director. “It’s frightening that New York City politicians created laws that force local law enforcement agencies to release dangerous criminals back into the community despite the seriousness of their crimes.”
