Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 60 people who were in the U.S. illegally during an operation in New Jersey last week — many of whom had extensive criminal backgrounds, including “aggravated assault, child abuse, child sex crimes, and assault,” officials said on Monday.
The operation was conducted throughout New Jersey and spanned five days, ending on April 20, 2018.
Of the 60 people arrested, “80 percent were convicted criminals, more than 20 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally,” ICE officials said.
“The success of this operation is a direct result of the full commitment of the dedicated men and women of ICE,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark via a press release. “We will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals.”
ICE officials said that the arrestees were nationals from “Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and Ukraine.”
Although ICE no longer exempts certain people from potential enforcement due to class or categories, this operation was focused specifically on “individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security.”
Some of the arrestees will be immediately deported, while others will face criminal charges for immigration violations, and may face prison sentences before being removed from the country.