(Huntsville Times file photo)

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Immigration officials took 105 immigrants and foreign nationals into custody in a five-day operation that included the arrests of several people wanted by Interpol for alleged crimes in their home countries, federal officials said Friday.

The sweep by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in 16 counties in N.J. also targeted immigrants who illegally re-entered the U.S. after deportation and several members of alleged gangs, including MS-13, officials said.

About 80 percent of those arrested had prior criminal convictions, ICE officials said.

“These outstanding results, which were made possible by our officers and law enforcement partners, highlight the tremendous commitment that ICE ERO has to public safety throughout the state,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations in Newark. “Our focus has been and will continue to be on arrests of illegal aliens who have been convicted of serious crimes or those who pose a threat to public safety.”

Those arrested will appear before an immigration judge for possible deportation.

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Tense relations with New Jersey officials

ICE officials said the operation was pre-planned and not as a result of the New Jersey Attorney General’s directive last week limiting local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE.

Federal immigration officials have been publicly clashing with some New Jersey law enforcement officials over the attorney general's new guidelines, which will go into effect in March.

ICE officials warn there will likely be an uptick in arrests of immigrants living in the country illegally in the wake of state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal's announcement last week that he is limiting how much local and state police can help immigration officials.

The new rules -- which include limiting when police can turn over jailed immigrants to ICE agents -- drew a sharp rebuke from federal immigration officials who said New Jersey was creating a “state-sanctioned haven” for unauthorized immigrants.

The new rules create a "state-sanctioned haven" for unauthorized immigrants, ICE officials say.

ICE officials have also clashed with officials in Middlesex County over the county's policy of refusing to hold some prisoners on "ICE detainers" until federal immigration officials can pick them up. Middlesex County officials have said they are complying with a county policy limiting cooperation with ICE.

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Where those arrested came from

Mexico was the home country of 28 people arrested in the operation, ICE officials said.

The others arrested included people from: Brazil (6), Canada (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Cuba (2), Dominican Republic (10), Ecuador (4), Egypt (1), El Salvador (8), Guatemala (13), Honduras (7), Jamaica (4), Korea (2), Peru (4), Philippines (1), Poland (1), Russia (1), Serbia (1), Slovakia (2), Spain (1), Taiwan (1), Trinidad (1), and Venezuela (4).

They were arrested in the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic (1), Bergen (4), Burlington (1), Camden (1), Essex (6), Gloucester (2), Hudson (24), Hunterdon (1), Mercer (12), Middlesex (10), Monmouth (14), Morris (3), Ocean (2), Passaic (11), Somerset (1), and Union (10).

Two of those arrested were picked up in New York, ICE officials said.

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Among those arrested:

In Palisades Park, a 59-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of indecent acts by compulsion causing bodily injury;

In Palisades Park, a 44-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of distribution of psychotropic drugs;

In West New York, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of fraud;

In Paterson, a 54-year-old Russian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of large scale fraud;

In Union City, a 35-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has a conviction of forcible touching on a child;

In Jersey City, a 35-year-old Venezuelan national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics;

In Union City, a 52-year-old Mexican national, who has a conviction of promoting prostitution with a child.

In New Brunswick, a 34-year-old Honduran national, who has a conviction of Endangering the Welfare of a Child;

In Bayonne, a 43-year-old Canadian national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics on school grounds;

In Jamesburg, a 25-year-old previously deported Guatemalan national, who was arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon. An ICE detainer was lodged with Middlesex County Jail but they refused to honor the ICE detainer and released the subject;

In Toms River, a 28-year-old Egyptian national, who has three convictions for possession and distribution of narcotics;

In Jersey City, a 41-year-old Taiwanese national, who has convictions for extortion and bank fraud;

In Atlantic City, a 38-year-old Cuban national, who has a conviction for aggravated criminal sexual contact;

In New Brunswick, a 48-year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a weapon;

In Freehold a 28-year-old El Salvadorian national, who is a member of MS-13;

In New Brunswick, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the 18th street gang;

In Newark, a 31-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the Surenos-13th street gang;

ICE officials did not release the names of those arrested or any other details about their alleged crimes or immigration violations.

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Immigrant advocacy groups denounce the arrests

In response to the arrests, Make the Road New Jersey, an immigrant and workers rights organization, in a statement said: “ICE is a rogue agency that uses threats and retaliation to targets workers, families and long-time residents for deportation, often in violation of the constitution. No federal agency should operate this way. “

They group also called on New Jersey's Congressional delegation to defund ICE.

"ICE should not punish New Jersey residents for Attorney General Gurbir Grewal's commonsense policy decision to restore trust with immigrant communities and public safety for all,” Make the Road New Jersey said in a statement.

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Read more about immigration:

ICE slams N.J. over new rules limiting police cooperation

These N.J. public colleges enroll the most unauthorized immigrants

Meet N.J.'s most typical unauthorized immigrant

Is ICE targeting some legal immigrants for deportation?

ICE arrests surging in N.J. under Trump. Here's why.

Staff writer Ted Sherman contributed to this report.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.