MIAMI - Forty-nine immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested in Orange and Palm Beach counties following a three-day law enforcement operation carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Florida fugitive operations teams. This enforcement effort focused on fugitives residing in Orlando and Palm Beach areas.
During the operation, which concluded Friday, ICE fugitive operations teams arrested 44 fugitives and five immigration violators. Five of those arrested had criminal histories that spanned from lewd acts on child under 16, driving under the influence, drug possession, weapons charges and prostitution Thirty-one individuals arrested remain in ICE custody and 18 were released on ICE supervision for humanitarian reasons concerning child care issues.
"The removal of illegal aliens, especially those with a criminal history, is one of ICE's top priorities," said Michael Rozos, field office director for the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations in Florida. "We will continue using all our resources to ensure that removal orders are carried out and locate these immigration violators who potentially pose a threat to public safety."
An immigration fugitive is someone who has ignored a final order of deportation. Those fugitives have already been ordered deported and are subject to immediate removal from the United States. The individuals who have illegally re-entered the U.S. after deportation are also subject to immediate removal from the U.S. The other immigration violators arrested during this operation who have not already been ordered removed, have been charged with immigration violations and placed into removal proceedings. They await hearings before an immigration judge.
Among those arrested in the Orlando and Palm Beach area included:
The Fugitive Operations Program (FOP) was established in 2003 to eliminate the nation's backlog of immigration fugitives and ensure that deportation orders handed down by immigration judges are enforced. So far this year ICE fugitive operations teams have made more than 29,000 arrests. Last year, the fugitive operations teams nearly doubled the number of arrests made in 2006 (15,000) to more than 30,000 in 2007. Additionally, in 2007, the nation's fugitive alien population declined for the first time in history and continues to do so in large part due to the work of the fugitive operations teams and our Fugitive Operations Support Center, which helps to clear outstanding cases. Estimates now place the number of immigration fugitives in the United States at approximately 570,000, a decrease of nearly 25,000 since October 2007.
Much of the credit for those results can be attributed to the rapid expansion of the program. Today, ICE has 95 fugitive operations teams deployed across the country and nine additional teams will be added by the end of September. Locally, the ICE Florida field office has seven operational teams and two additional teams will be deployed within the next month.
Those arrested represent countries around the globe including Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Dominican Republic, China, Trinidad and Tobago.
ICE's Fugitive Operations Program is an integral part of the comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration. That strategy seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently. The plan also involves strong interior enforcement efforts, including enhanced worksite enforcement and intensified efforts to track down and remove illegal aliens inside the United States.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.