The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says officers from its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) have arrested a number of Caribbean immigrants. The arrests involved 114 foreign nationals during an 11-day operation in New York City targeting at-large criminal immigrants, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives.
From 35 countries
On Wednesday the arrestees, 104 men and 10 women, included nationals from 35 countries. Of those arrested one person was from Barbados, 15 from the Dominica Republic, one from Grenada, five from Haiti, eight from Jamaica and three from Trinidad and Tobago.
Prior Convictions
During the enforcement action, which ended Saturday, 82 were discovered to have criminal histories. These included prior convictions for sex crimes, drug offenses and fraud. Fifteen have pending criminal charges, including assault, larceny and sexual exploitation of a minor. Thirty-seven individuals have been issued with final orders of removal.
Others taken into custody during the operation included an unidentified Jamaican national arrested in the Queens section of New York with a prior conviction of forcible touching, robbery in the first degree and act in manner to injure a child less than 17.
Public safety threat
ICE said the operation “targeted criminal aliens who pose a public safety threat and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. This include individuals who re-entered the country after being deported and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges.”
ICE said while Queens and Manhattan accounted for the largest number of arrests during the operation, ERO personnel conducted enforcement actions in a total of 12 New York communities.
