NEW YORK – Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 118 during a 5-day period, from January 14-18th, in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

During the operation, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 118 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. Of those arrested, more than 107 were convicted criminals or had criminal charges pending, more than 55 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.

“The success of this operation is a direct result of the full commitment of the dedicated men and women of ICE.” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO New York. "In spite of the significant obstacles that ICE faces due to the dangerous policies created by local jurisdictions, which hinders the cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement, ICE will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals.”

Arrests include:

In Brooklyn, a 44 year-old Ecuadorian national, and registered sexual offender, who has a conviction of Attempted Sexual Abuse (two female victims under the age of 8), for which he was sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision;

In Deer Park, a 34 year-old Ecuadorian national, who has convictions of Sexual Abuse 1st Degree: Contact by Forcible Compulsion;

In Brooklyn, a 33 year-old previously removed Jamaican national, who has convictions of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Harassment;

In Corona, a 44 year-old Peruvian national, and registered sexual offender, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has a conviction of Forcible Touching: Touch Intimate Parts of Another Person;

In Brooklyn, a 49 year-old previously removed Jamaican national, who has convictions of Burglary, Robbery, and six separate Larcenies;

In Kew Gardens, a 34 year-old Honduran national, and registered sexual offender, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has a conviction of Sexual Misconduct;

In the Bronx, a 37 year-old, Honduran national, who has convictions of Robbery, Assault, Criminal Mischief, Criminal Facilitation, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of Marijuana, Grand Larceny, and Petit Larceny;

In Brooklyn, a 30 year-old Israeli national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has a federal conviction for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States: Counterfeiting Currency;

In the Bronx, a 23 year-old previously removed Dominican national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has a pending local charge of Rape 3rd Degree. The victim, a child under the age of 17;

In Rockville Centre, a 41 year-old Panamanian national, released from Nassau County Correctional Center custody with an active detainer, who has a conviction for Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon;

In Flushing, a 29 year-old Ecuadorian national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer on two separate occasions, who has convictions for Bail Jumping, criminal Facilitation, Disorderly Conduct, Grand Larceny, and Attempted Grand Larceny;

In Kew Gardens, a 34 year-old Honduran national, and registered sexual offender, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has a conviction of Sexual Misconduct;

In Brooklyn, a 30 year-old previously removed Guatemala national, who has convictions of Harassment, and Public Lewdness;

In Brooklyn, a 57 year-old previously removed Jamaica national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has convictions of Attempted Criminal Sale Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession Controlled Substance (4 separate occasions), Criminal Sale Marijuana, and Criminal Possession Marijuana;

Criminal histories of those arrested during the operation are as follows: acting in manner injure child, aggravated DWI, aggravated harassment, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, assault, assault and battery, attempted assault, attempted criminal contempt, attempted criminal possession of marijuana, attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal trespass, attempted gang assault, attempted menacing, attempted sexual abuse, attempted tampering with physical evidence, battery on officer firefighter EMT, burglary 2nd: illegal entry-dwelling, burglary 3rd: illegal entry-intent to commit a crime, counterfeiting currency, course of sexual conduct-1st degree, criminal contempt, criminal facilitation, criminal mischief, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a loaded firearm, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal sale of marijuana, criminal trespass 3rd, destruction of property, disorderly conduct, driving while ability impaired, DWI, endangering the welfare of a child, failure to identify, family violence assault, forcible touching, forgery, grand larceny, harassment, illegal entry into the United States, illegal reentry after removal, inflict corporal injury-spouse, larceny, menacing, menacing with a weapon, obstruct police, possession of burglary tools, possession of a forged instrument, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, public lewdness, resisting arrest, rape 2nd degree, rape 3rd degree, resisting officer, robbery, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, stalking, trademark counterfeiting, trafficking in cocaine, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and unlawful possession of marijuana.

The arrestees include nationals from: Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad, and Venezuela. ERO deportation officers made arrests throughout New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island, specifically in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Suffolk County, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Dutchess County, Putnam County, Rockland County , Ulster County, Westchester County, and Bergen County in New Jersey.

ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. However, ICE no longer exempts classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.

Eight individuals arrested during this operation were criminally charged in U.S. District Court for illegal re-entry after deportation, and remanded to U.S. Marshal Service, pending trial. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted will be processed administratively 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 immediate removal from the country. The remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.

More than 35 individuals arrested during this operation were previously released from local law enforcement on an active detainer. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) places detainers on individuals who have been arrested on local criminal charges and who are suspected of being deportable, so that ICE can take custody of that person when he or she is released from local custody. When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.

In years past, most of these individuals would have been turned over to ICE by local authorities upon their release from jail based on ICE detainers. Now that many sanctuary cities, including New York City, do not honor ICE detainers, these individuals, who often have significant criminal histories, are released onto the street, presenting a potential public safety threat.

ICE has no choice but to continue to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests, instead of focusing on arrests at jails and prisons where transfers are safer for ICE officers and the community.

Ultimately, efforts by local NYC politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect.

Despite the severe challenges that local policies have created for ICE, we remain committed to our public safety mission and we will continue to do our sworn duty to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators. ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with all local law enforcement and elected officials.

ICE deportation officers carry out 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. These operations involve existing, established Fugitive Operations Teams.

Editor’s Note: The arrest statistics provided in this news release represent preliminary data that has been manually reported by an ICE Field Office and may vary from official agency metrics contained in ICE’s system of record. Because ICE’s official metrics are reported by Area of Responsibility (AOR), they may differ in content and level of detail from data that has been manually reported by a Field Office.