ERO New York City removes Nigerian national with long criminal record
NEW YORK — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City removed Denon Amen Osunde, a Nigerian national, from the United States to Nigeria on June 5.
Osunde entered the U.S. as a nonimmigrant visitor for pleasure on April 30, 1998, and failed to comply with the terms of his admittance. The Lynn District Court convicted him of one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery on Dec. 12, 2001, and sentenced him to 18 months of incarceration. Then, the same court convicted him of one count of assault and battery and sentenced him to an additional 18 months’ incarceration on June 2, 2003.
On Aug. 16, 2004, an immigration judge ordered Osunde removed to Nigeria. ERO Boston removed him to Nigeria on Dec. 15, 2004.
On April 16, 2022, Osunde applied for admission at John F. Kennedy International Airport. On the same date, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection served Osunde an expedited removal order charging inadmissibility.
On April 17, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection transferred Osunde to ERO New York City custody, and on April 28, 2022, ERO New York City served him with a Notice to Appear; the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor also served him with paperwork noting additional charges of inadmissibility on April 29, 2022.
On Nov. 7, 2022, an immigration judge in New York ordered Osunde removed from the United States to Nigeria. Osunde reserved his right to file an appeal on or before Dec. 6, 2022, but because he failed to file, the immigration judge's order of removal became administratively final Dec. 7, 2022.
“This individual’s long history of criminal behavior in the U.S. clearly demonstrates that he is a threat to the community and why his removal was justified,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “I commend our officers for their work on this case.”
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.
ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.
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.
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 can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ERO New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on Twitter @ERONewYork.
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