May 15, 2008

25 illegal aliens nabbed by ICE following a tip from the Lee County Sheriff's Office in Florida

FT. MYERS, Fla.- Twenty-five illegal aliens working on the "Core Expansion Project" at the Lee County Sheriff's Office were arrested here this morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents following a tip received from the sheriff's office.

ICE special agents, who immediately responded to the tip, arrested 22 males and three females, from Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala and Peru.

All of those arrested are in the custody of the ICE Office of Detention and Removal. They have all been placed in removal proceedings and will remain in custody awaiting the outcome of their case.

In accordance with ICE's homeland security mission, ICE special agents prioritize worksite enforcement efforts by focusing on the sites related to critical infrastructure and national security. Unauthorized workers employed at sensitive facilities such as airports, nuclear power plants, chemical plants, military bases, defense facilities and seaports, pose a vulnerability which compromises the integrity of these key assets.

In this case, there is no reason to believe that the individuals arrested had ill intent. Additionally, none of those arrested had access to secure sites.

The investigation into this case is ongoing.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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