At least two immigrants in the country illegally were arrested on Long Island by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a five-day roundup that netted as many as 118 suspects, ICE officials said in a news release Tuesday.
Agents from Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested the 118 people from countries across the globe for violating immigration laws, officials said, adding that more than 107 of them had been convicted of crimes or had charges pending. Additionally, more than 55 had either been issued a final order of removal but had not left the United States or had been deported and returned illegally again, officials said.
The convictions included serious and violent offenses such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault.
A 41-year-old Panamanian national was arrested in Rockville Centre after being released to immigration authorities from the Nassau jail, officials said, adding that the defendant has a conviction for attempted criminal possession of a weapon.
Also, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national with a conviction for first-degree sexual abuse was picked up in Deer Park.
Their names were not released.
The detainees’ countries of origin were Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
The arrests took place between Jan. 14 and Jan. 18 in a sweeping investigation called Operation Cross Check.
“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 . . . .”
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