National Immigration Dragnet Snares Thousands Of Convicted Criminal Aliens
October 3, 2011 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced that a week-long national immigration dragnet, called “Cross Check,” resulted in the arrest of more than 2,900 convicted criminal aliens. ICE Director John Morton said the agency focused specifically on those convicted of crimes such as aggravated assault, child abuse, and drug trafficking.
“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE’s ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation’s immigration system,” he said.
The seven-day operation involved the collaboration of more than 1,900 officers and agents from all of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations’ (ERO) 24 field offices, as well as coordination with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners throughout the U.S. Arrests occurred in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. According to the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), in Northern California ICE officials reported the apprehension of 186 criminal aliens, including documented gang members.
While operation “Cross Check” focused on specific, known criminals, CAWG received reports that ICE’s enforcement effort swept up other undocumented immigrants not known to have any criminal history other than their illegal immigration status. As fears of detention spread, winegrape growers in the Lodi area reported a scarcity of hand laborers for vineyard operations.
In the instance of “Cross Check,” an ICE official told CAWG staff that ICE agents were operating with warrants in hand and pursuing specific, named individuals. During the course of their search for criminal aliens, ICE agents may question many people, asking for their name, where they live, where they were born, and whether or not they have legal status. Such questioning can be intimidating and if an individual answers in a manner that suggests he or she is an illegal immigrant, i.e., “I was born in Mexico,” or the person produces fraudulent documents, then that person may be detained. However, ICE officials insist that they are not engaging in generalized immigration sweeps based on racial profiling. CAWG continues to monitor this situation.
Information on what to do if you are stopped by police, immigration agents, or the FBI can found in a handy “know your rights” card, printed in English and Spanish, which can be found here.
A second, lengthier document discussing your rights when stopped and questioned by law enforcement officials is available online, in Spanish and English, here.
Source: CAWG
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