Two devastating hurricanes have forced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to call off an operation against criminal aliens and illegal immigrant gang members that was to be the largest in the agency’s history.
ICE had planned nationwide arrest operations of 8,400 illegal immigrants later this month, according to three law enforcement officials and an internal document obtained by NBC News. But agency officials canceled the raids, collectively known as “Operation Mega,” because of the one-two punch of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
“Due to the current weather situation in Florida and other potentially impacted areas, along with the ongoing recovery in Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had already reviewed all upcoming operations and has adjusted accordingly,” ICE spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez told NBC in a statement. “There is currently no coordinated nationwide operation planned at this time. The priority in the affected areas should remain focused on life-saving and life-sustaining activities.”
ICE frequently plans multi-state operations that target hundreds or even thousands of criminal aliens at once, but agents often have difficulty tracking down suspects that use multiple aliases or have fraudulent identity documents.
The raids were set to take place over five days beginning Sept. 17, reports NBC. Operation Mega would have been “the largest operation of its kind in the history of ICE,” according to the internal memo.
As Harvey deluged southeast Texas last week, ICE officials suspended “non-criminal” immigration enforcement in order to allocate manpower to rescue efforts and allow illegal immigrants to access storm relief without fear of being detained. The agency issued similar guidance for the areas that will be affected by Irma this weekend, which, according to projections, could include most of Florida and the coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina. (RELATED: DHS Calls Off ‘Non-Criminal’ Immigration Enforcement In Areas Hit By Irma)
An ICE official told NBC that Operation Mega would have targeted only adults deemed to be gang members of people with serious criminal convictions. Some illegal immigrants without prior convictions may have been arrested if they were present at raid sites, the official added.
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