ICE operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration violators nets 49 arrests across Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — A total of 49 foreign nationals were arrested over the last seven days in the Philadelphia Metropolitan region during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aimed at criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, re-entrants, and other immigration violators, which ended Sunday.

• 17 of those arrested had criminal convictions.
• 14 of those arrested have pending criminal charges.
• 6 had been previously removed from the United States and subsequently illegally re-entered. 
• 14 were immigration fugitives with outstanding final orders of removal issued by a federal immigration judge. 
• 14 of those arrested were previously released from Philadelphia County custody, despite having an ICE detainer lodged against them.

Arrest examples include:

• May 14: ICE arrested a 52-year-old, unlawfully present Mexican man, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was arrested by Philadelphia Police Department and charged with simple assault and terroristic threats. He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings.  He was released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer in place.
• May 14: ICE arrested a 40-year-old, previously deported Jamaican man, in Philadelphia. He was arrested by Philadelphia Police Department after a bench warrant was issued for his arrest and charged with presenting false ID to law enforcement. He has a conviction for possession with intent to distribute, marijuana, for which he was sentenced to 37 months incarceration.  He will be served with a notice to reinstate prior removal order and his case has been presented to the United States Attorney's Office for possible prosecution. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
• May 15: ICE arrested a 40-year-old, previously deported Dominican man, in Philadelphia. He has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, heroin, for which he was sentenced to 41 months confinement.  He will be served with a notice to reinstate prior removal order and his case has been presented to the United States Attorney's Office for possible prosecution. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
• May 15: ICE arrested a 22-year-old, Colombian man, in Philadelphia. He has a conviction for aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to 11 and-half to 23 months confinement. He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings.
• May 16: ICE arrested a 35-year-old, Thais man, in Souderton, Pennsylvania. He has a conviction for possession of a firearm without a license, for which he was sentenced to three years’ probation.  He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance for which he was sentenced to five years of probation. He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings.
• May 17: ICE arrested a 35-year-old, unlawfully present Mexican man, in Philadelphia. He has pending criminal charges in Philadelphia for aggravated assault and simple assault. He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings. 
• May 19: ICE arrested a 27-year-old Jamaican man, in Philadelphia. He has a conviction for possession of firearms in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings.
• May 20: ICE arrested a 26-year-old, unlawfully present Haitian man, in Philadelphia.  On June 10, 2016, he was convicted in the Common Pleas Court at Philadelphia, of robbery, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, and criminal attempt-theft by unlawful taking. He was sentenced to a maximum of 23 months confinement. He will remain in ICE custody without bond pending immigration proceedings.

The stats cover the entirety of the agency’s field operations arrests in the Philadelphia Metropolitan region from Monday, May 14, 2018 through Sunday, May 20, 2018. This week’s enforcement operations were conducted in accordance with routine, daily targeted operations conducted by ICE field operations teams every day to arrest criminal aliens and other individuals who are in violation of our nation’s immigration laws. ICE deportation officers conduct targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls.

ICE does not conduct sweeps, checkpoints or raids that target aliens indiscriminately. This operation targeted public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens, gang members, and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including those who re-entered the country after being deported and immigration fugitives ordered deported by federal immigration judges. Reports to the contrary create panic and put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger. Any groups falsely reporting such activities are doing a disservice to those they claim to support.

During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis for enforcement action.

Those not being criminally prosecuted will be processed for removal from the United States. Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to removal from the country.