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July 7, 2023Miami, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ERO Miami arrests 18 noncitizens in local operation

Officers with ICE ERO Miami’s Stuart sub-office and officials with U.S. Border Patrol Officers with ICE ERO Miami’s Stuart sub-office and officials with U.S. Border Patrol

MIAMI — Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami’s Stuart suboffice and officials with U.S. Border Patrol arrested 18 unlawfully present individuals during the final week of June in an enforcement action targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety.

Of those arrested by ERO during the enforcement action, which was conducted from June 26 to June 30, 10 were from Guatemala, three from Mexico, two from Honduras, two from Brazil and one from Saint Lucia.

"ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects citizens throughout Florida by arresting and removing of those who pose a safety threat to our communities," said ERO Miami Field Office Director Garrett Ripa. As part of its routine operations, ICE targets and arrests noncitizens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. All noncitizens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.

Some arrests from the action include the following:

  • A 36-year-old Guatemalan female who was arrested for hit-and run, child neglect and DUI. The subject is currently pending a removal hearing by an immigration judge.
  • A 27-year-old Mexican male who was arrested for hit and run, battery and DUI. The subject is currently pending a removal hearing by an immigration judge.
  • A 44-year-old Mexican male arrested for DUI, property damage, hit and run, and resisting an officer. The subject is currently pending a removal hearing by an immigration judge.
  • A 24-year-old Brazilian male who was arrested for cocaine possession. The subject is currently pending a removal hearing by an immigration judge.

ICE officers carefully evaluated individual cases, assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to federal prosecution will be presented to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. 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.

Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form. Callers may remain anonymous.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

For more news and information on how the ERO Miami field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission, follow us on Twitter @EROMiami.

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