After previously referring to reports of 100 undocumented immigrants being detained for deportation as “grossly exaggerated,” U.S. Immigration and Customs officials on Friday confirmed the agency had arrested more than 160 individuals during targeted raids in Southern California over the previous five days.
The enforcement surge that began Monday was aimed at “at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives,” ICE spokesperson Virginia Kice said in a statement. About 150 of those taken into custody had criminal histories, she said, while some of those without a criminal background had deportation orders or had previously been deported.
It is not clear whether immigrants were targeted for violent offenses or work-related crimes, such as providing false documentation for employment, as was the case involving an undocumented mother in Phoenix who was deported early Thursday.
ICE said “many” of those arrested during the five-day sweep had “felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault.” About 95 percent of those detained were men.
Foreign nationals from a dozen countries were arrested across more than 55 Southern California communities across five counties, federal officials said, but did not disclose those countries or communities. On Thursday, immigration advocates said home raids had taken place in Santa Paula, Oxnard, Van Nuys, Downey and San Bernardino.
More (including quite a lot of whining):
http://ktla.com/2017/02/10/more-than-160-arrested-in-l-a-area-immigration-operation-this-week-federal-officials/
