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From January 16 through 28, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers apprehended 171 illegal immigrants who have been charged with or convicted of murder, homicide, or assault against children.
In a statement, the agency highlighted five of those apprehended who had convictions of sexual misconduct, including rape, with a child. They also noted one who was convicted of murder and another convicted of sexual assault.
“A 53-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Tacoma, Washington, convicted of felony child molestation in the first degree, child molestation in the second degree, and rape of a child in the third degree,” one highlighted case from the statement read.
“The results of this weeklong effort are a testament to ERO’s commitment to protecting the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws,” ICE Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Patrick J. Lechleitner said in a statement. “Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel are committed to enforcing the nation’s immigration laws humanely, effectively, and with the highest standards of professionalism.”
The agency claims that it focuses its efforts on criminals and those who “have violated our nation’s immigration laws.” It notes that officers use their discretion to act against illegal immigrants who “pose a threat to national security, public safety, or border security.”
ICE arrested 73,822 immigrants with a total of 290,178 charges in fiscal year 2023. A breakdown of the charges shows that 33,209 were from assault, 4,390 sex and sexual assaults, 7,520 weapons offenses, 1,713 for homicide, and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.
Last week, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) revealed that they had encountered 50 people who appeared on the terror watch list attempting to cross the United States illegally so far in Fiscal Year 2024. The agency noted that they had encountered a total of 634,066 people coming across in the same time frame.
According to a report from the Center for Immigration Studies, even with record numbers of illegal immigrants coming into the country, ICE arrests of criminal immigrants are down 68 percent since Joe Biden took office. Deportations are also down 67 percent.
ICE noted that citizens can report crimes and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
