U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Apr. 27 that its officers arrested several individuals convicted of serious offenses, including sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault.
The announcement underscores ICE's continued focus on removing people convicted of violent crimes from communities in the United States.
According to Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis, "Over the weekend ICE arrested pedophiles, sexual deviants, kidnappers, and other violent thugs. Every day, our law enforcement officers remove heinous criminals from our communities. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you and arrest you. Criminals are not welcome in the U.S." The agency listed a series of arrests made over the weekend involving individuals from countries including Mexico, Angola, China, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. Offenses cited include indecency with a child by contact in Texas; continuous sexual abuse of a child in California; aggravated sexual assault in Texas; criminal sexual assault/force in Illinois; domestic violence – battery in Florida; kidnapping in Florida; threats of violence and disorderly conduct in Utah; burglary and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas; assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill and discharging firearm into an occupied vehicle in North Carolina; battery and drug possession charges in Florida; aggravated robbery in Texas; burglary charges in New York; prostitution-related offenses in Virginia Beach; as well as sale of controlled drugs charges reported from New Hampshire.
ICE said these arrests reflect ongoing efforts to address public safety concerns related to criminal activity among non-citizens who have been previously convicted for various felonies across different states.
The agency encouraged Americans seeking more information about recent public safety threat arrests to visit their webpage at WOW.DHS.Gov.
Bis said ICE will continue its operations aimed at locating and removing those it identifies as threats: "If you come to our country illegally and break our laws...we will find you and arrest you."
