ICE Texas field offices remove more than 800 sex offenders so far this year

DALLAS — The four Texas field offices within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) have deported more than 860 sex offenders so far this fiscal year.

Of the 862 alien sex offenders deported by the Texas-based offices, about 27 percent were convicted of sex offenses against children.

ICE's four Texas field offices are located in Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. The Dallas area of responsibility includes 128 counties in north Texas, and the state of Oklahoma. Dallas ERO deported 171 sex offenders so far in fiscal year 2014; 47 were convicted of sex offenses against a minor. In all of fiscal year 2013, the office deported 463 sex offenders; 154 were convicted of sex offenses against a minor. In 2013, all four Texas offices deported 2,124 sex offenders; 508 were convicted of sex offenses against a minor. In fiscal year 2012, Texas ERO offices deported 2,007 sex offenders, and 2,127 in 2011.

ICE officers routinely apprehend removable convicted sex offenders during targeted enforcement operations, or they are turned over to ICE custody when local/state jails or prisons release them after they serve their prison sentences. Additionally, ICE and the Texas Department of Public Safety have begun to regularly share information on sex offenders. This partnership allows ICE to cross-reference the list of sex offenders provided from the state to determine if they are removable aliens.

"Identifying and locating aliens convicted of sex offenses and other serious crimes are a high priority for our fugitive operations teams," said Thomas P. Giles, field office director for ERO Dallas. "Ultimately, our efforts to remove these criminals from our streets, our communities and our country have a positive impact on public safety."

Some of the more egregious offenses of the criminal alien sex offenders deported throughout Texas include: sexual assault, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Following are some of the sex offenders deported by officers with the ERO Dallas office: (In accordance with Department of Homeland Security privacy policies, ICE cannot include the names of those deported.)

• A 34-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers in Dallas. In November 2013, he was convicted in Moore County, Texas, of indecency with a child by contact. He was deported Dec. 20, 2013.
• A 29-year-old man from Guatemala was arrested by ERO officers Nov. 7 in Mesquite. In March 2000, he was convicted in Dallas County, Texas, of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and evading arrest. He was deported Dec. 11, 2013.
• A 55-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Oct. 31 in Fort Worth. In October 2013, he was convicted of indecency with a child in Tarrant County, Texas. He was deported Dec. 5, 2013.
• A 20-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Oct. 1 in Lubbock. In September 2013, he was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in Gaines County, Texas. He was deported Oct. 2, 2013.

Nationwide, ICE has removed more than 72,000 aliens with criminal convictions so far this fiscal year. These removals represent the agency's ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens, recent border crossers and egregious immigration law violators, such as those who have been previously removed from the United States.