The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says agents from its – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Chicago apprehended a Trinidadian national among 17 removable noncitizens identified as having been convicted of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, or driving under the influence.
On Friday, ICE said those arrested also included a number of Mexican and Guatemalan nationals, who were released from incarceration on parole or placed on probation into communities under supervision during a nationwide enforcement effort between March 4 and March 13.
The immigration enforcement agency said the 68-year-old citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, who resided in Indianapolis, Indiana, was convicted by the Lake County Circuit Court in Illinois for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in November 1995 and convicted by the Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois for aggravated kidnapping, inflicting harm and aggravated criminal sexual abuse in May 2016.
“The enforcement effort was implemented to address removable noncitizens identified as having been convicted of attempted murder, murder-second degree, domestic violence, rape by force, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, or driving under the influence who had been released from incarceration on parole or placed on probation into communities under local, state or federal supervision prior to the ICE enforcement action,” ICE said.
“The apprehended noncitizens will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings before an immigration judge.”
ERO Chicago acting Field Office Director Mike Melendez said: “We will continue to apprehend and remove individuals who pose a threat to public safety.
“ERO is committed to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws and ensuring criminals like the ones arrested during this nationwide enforcement effort are held to those laws,” he added.
ICE said it “targets and arrests noncitizens who have committed crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws.
“ICE officers, informed by their experience and training, use their discretion inherent as law enforcement officials to focus enforcement resources on people who threaten the homeland,” it said, adding that the effort includes noncitizens with a final order of removal.
“Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate US attorney’s office,” ICE continued.
In fiscal year 2022, ICE said ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories.
ICE said this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal US federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement.
CHICAGO, Mar 25, CMC
CMC/nk/kb/2023