Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 26 illegal immigrant sex offenders in a two-day operation in California this week, while the U.S. continues to face an escalating immigration crisis and diverts resources to the border. ing.
More than 20 foreign nationals were arrested between Monday and Wednesday, with the investigation focusing on foreign nationals identified as having been convicted of sex crimes.
Those arrested also included child sex offenders, including a 40-year-old Mexican national who was convicted in California of felony child molestation and continuous sexual abuse.
ICE increases staffing at southern border to assist CBP with new migrant surge
Investigators also identified a 35-year-old Guatemalan man who was convicted of a felony count of child molestation, and a 19-year-old man who was convicted of a felony charge of sexual forcible oral copulation and restraint of a minor over the age of 14. The Salvadoran national was detained.
In this undated photo, ICE agents arrest an illegal immigrant.
The operation was carried out by Enforcement and Elimination Operations (ERO) in Los Angeles.
“The results of this operation exemplify the professionalism, dedication, and commitment to public safety of ERO Los Angeles personnel,” Field Office Director Thomas Giles said in a statement. “It is our mission to remove these people and the threat they represent from our communities, and we will continue to safely and effectively enforce our nation’s immigration laws.”
The agency points to 46,496 illegal immigrants convicted and arrested by ERO in fiscal year 2022, including 8,164 for sex crimes and sexual assault crimes. Figures for 2023 have not yet been released.
The Biden administration has significantly reduced the scope of ICE enforcement, with agents now tasked with taking down illegal immigrants only when they pose a danger to public safety or national security or have recently crossed the border.
The number of migrants encountered at the border surged to more than 200,000 in December
The administration says it is narrowing its priorities so it can focus its limited resources on the greatest threats to national security and public safety. However, under the administration, the number of forced deportations, including of criminal illegal aliens, has decreased sharply.
ICE officers are often prevented from performing their duties by “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which often limit or outright prohibit cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.
Meanwhile, Fox reported this week that ICE is sending resources, including ERO officers, to the border to assist Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in dealing with the historic crisis at the southern border.
Fox News Digital reported that ERO will provide 141 personnel to support CBP’s border operations.
Biden administration sends large numbers of ice agents to border as migrant numbers rise
These duties include responding to questions regarding medical and transportation issues, registering undocumented immigrants for Alternative Detention (ATD) electronic monitoring, and coordinating deportation and necessary travel documents.
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Meanwhile, the agency currently has 132 ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers at the border, but that number is expected to increase to 197. As part of the memorandum, special personnel will be assigned duties such as guarding, transporting and guarding the hospital. law enforcement searches, safety and welfare checks;
ICE is a smaller agency than CBP, so moving large numbers of personnel to the border could impact ongoing operations.
