Deport yourself plan isn't going to work

Squads of immigration agents are going around the country knocking on doors, scouting out street corners for day laborers, stopping cars driven by foreign-looking people and raiding factories in search of undocumented immigrants.

It's literally a manhunt that is not only taking a toll on immigrant families but is draining the resources of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. So now it is asking for help.

ICE has come up with a new pet project. It's being called "Operation Scheduled Departure." It looks like the agency is so overwhelmed with its hunting expedition that it wants immigrants to aid in their own deportation.

This is what ICE proposes: If you are a "fugitive alien," turn yourself in. Those who adhere to this program will avoid being jailed, and they will have up to 90 days to make the necessary arrangements to leave and take their family with them.

According to Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers, this pilot program is in response to those immigrants who were arrested and deported and said they would have liked some time to leave things in order. Myers says the plan targets hundreds of thousands of immigrant fugitives who do not have a criminal background.

Now, think about it: If they do not have a criminal background, then why are they being considered fugitives? Sounds confusing, doesn't it? The government defines "fugitive immigrants" as those who have deportation orders — mostly immigrants who have been deported before and came back into the country or who violated a previous deportation order. They are the ones who qualify for this voluntary deportation program, but not if they have committed "other" crimes.

The pilot program is supposed to run from Aug. 5 through Aug. 22, and includes five cities: Phoenix; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; San Diego; and Santa Ana, Calif. If effective, it could be extended. Immigration authorities claim there are some 457,000 fugitive immigrants in the country. Mind you, that does not include other undocumented immigrants who are not considered fugitives, even though immigration agents are also going after them. I know, I know, it still sounds confusing.

El Paso Border Patrol Agents Arrest Convicted Sex Offender

Friday, August 08, 2008

Fort Hancock Texas – Border Patrol agents of the El Paso sector Friday arrested a convicted sexual offender with an extensive criminal history, who had been previously ordered removed from the United States.

At approximately 7 a.m., agents assigned to the Fort Hancock Border Patrol Station, on routine patrol, noticed three suspicious subjects near the Fort Hancock High School. After questioning the subjects, it was determined they were in the United States illegally and were subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Fort Hancock Station for processing.

During processing, the Automated Integrated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) revealed that one of the subjects was a previously deported felon. The subject, 39-year old Daniel Santos Amaya-Rodas, a citizen of El Salvador has several prior arrests and convictions for sexual crimes. Amaya-Rodas will be prosecuted for Illegal Re-entry and was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility.

Agents Arrest Previously Removed Child Molester in California

Monday, August 04, 2008

Blythe, Calif. – Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Sector’s Blythe Station arrested a subject with an outstanding warrant early Saturday morning near Blythe, Calif.

About 5:30 a.m., agents performing traffic observation duties on Interstate 10 conducted a traffic stop on a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier. Upon interview, the driver of the vehicle admitted to being a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States. The individual was arrested without incident and transported to Blythe Border Patrol Station.

Fingerprint checks conducted through the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Information System revealed the subject had an outstanding warrant originating from Boise, Idaho for failure to register as a sex offender.

The subject had a previous conviction of Lewd Conduct with a Minor, Child under 16 Years of Age and was sentenced to 100 days in jail and four years of probation. In addition, the subject was previously prosecuted and removed from the United States as a criminal alien.

Three illegal aliens arrested have a combined 69 arrests

August 7, 2008 - 5:47PM

BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER

Border Patrol agents in Yuma arrested three illegal aliens with extensive criminal histories and immigration violations in two separate incidents Wednesday.

At about 6 p.m., agents discovered a set of footprints leading away from the Colorado River near County 8th Street - "a high-traffic area," said Border Patrol spokesman Ben Vik.

Vik said agents tracked the prints for about two miles to a field where they found an illegal alien trying to evade them.

A fingerprint check identified him as Juan Francisco-Flores and revealed a criminal history originating in the late 1980s. Included were assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting injury upon spouse, driving under the influence and drug offenses. Francisco-Flores was also previously deported from the United States.

Later that same evening, a Yuma Sector camera operator helped agents in the arrest of two more criminal aliens who used the same crossing point to enter the U.S.

"They were trying to circumvent the north end of Yuma," Vik said. "The camera operator watched them enter the country illegally and guided agents to their location. It was a triumph of technology."

Silvio Arrellano-Estrada, a criminal alien with history beginning in the 1990s, was found to have three previous arrests for various forms of theft including shoplifting and vehicle theft, as well re-entry after deportation.

A records check identified the last subject as Sacramento Velasquez-Morales. His varied immigration and criminal history includes 60 arrests, using 47 aliases, spanning from the mid-1970s to present for multiple battery/assault charges, narcotics, theft and public drunkenness in various states such as California, Washington, Texas and Arizona.

Velasquez-Morales reportedly has multiple illegal entry offenses and has been formally removed from the U.S. eight times.

Agents nab sex offender near border

BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER

Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Sector Station arrested a convicted rapist early Monday afternoon near the Andrade port of entry.

Agent Ben Vik, Yuma Sector spokesman, said that at about 1:30 p.m., Border Patrol agents working west of the Andrade port observed a lone male individual walking approximately three miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Upon making contact with the subject, it was determined that he was in the United States illegally. The subject was arrested without incident and transported to Yuma Border Patrol Station.

"That area is particularly notorious for illegal entry," Vik saidf. "It's basically a short walk and a slightly longer swim to get into the country in that area."

Vik explained that the All American Canal is about 200 feet from the international border in that area.

A records check back at the Yuma station using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Information System later revealed the subject had been arrested, charged and convicted of rape by force and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

He also had been arrested for theft and possession of a loaded firearm. In addition, the man has been previously removed from the United States for immigration violations four previous times.

CBP Officers Nab ‘Persons of Interest’ Connected to Quadruple Murder Case

Monday, June 30, 2008

Douglas, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Douglas, Ariz. port of entry played a pivotal role in finding two individuals wanted by the Los Angeles County sheriff in connection with a homicide involving multiple victims, including two children.

At around 4:45 on Saturday afternoon, CBP officers screening people wanting to enter the United States through the Douglas were approached by Mexican authorities, who were escorting two men to the port of entry. The officers’ suspicions were raised by the fact that the men were being escorted by Mexican immigration authorities and, since their mission is to discover and stop threats from entering the United States, they began working to determine the identity and admissibility of the two men.

During the inspection, suspicions were raised further when the two men refused to speak English or Spanish, prompting officers to find a CBP officer who spoke Korean to assist with questioning. As the officers identified the men through use of immigration and other databases, and through questioning, they discovered information leading them to believe the men were wanted as persons of interest in connection with the murder of several people, including two children, in Los Angeles County.

The men were turned over to the Douglas Police Department for further investigation and processing.

Twice-deported Mexican national is sentenced to 46 months for illegal reentry

Subject was convicted in Rhode Island of child abuse

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Mexican national was sentenced today for illegally reentering the U.S., after an investigation by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Rhode Island.

A federal judge today sentenced Gustavo Granados, a citizen of Mexico, to 46 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. Granados, 39, was convicted in 1992 in Rhode Island Family Court of second-degree child abuse, and was deported twice. His illegal status was discovered in January after a vehicle stop in East Providence.

United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente and Bruce M. Foucart, special agent-in-charge of ICE's Office of Investigation in Boston, announced the sentence, which Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres imposed in U.S. District Court, Providence. After his term in prison, Granados will again be subject to deportation.

"This case truly highlights the success of law enforcement coordination," said ICE Special Agent-in-Charge Foucart. "Thanks to the proactive efforts of the East Providence Police Department, a criminal illegal alien, who has abused a child, has been brought to justice. It is ICE's mission to protect national security and public safety, and the most effective way to do that is to assist and work with our local law enforcement partners."

Granados pleaded guilty in March to illegal reentry. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Beckner said the government could prove that Granados was deported as an aggravated felon in May 1995. After illegally reentering the country, he was deported again in October 1999, and illegally reentered again near Nogales, Ariz., in July 2005.

Granados was most recently living in an apartment on Mowry Street, Central Falls. In January, East Providence Police made a routine traffic stop of a car that Granados was driving and subsequently contacted ICE for an immigration check. ICE agents took custody of Granados on Jan. 15 and brought the case to the United States Attorney's Office for prosecution.

ICE to illegals: We'll 'find you and send you home'

13 teams of agents bust more than 900 criminal aliens in California

Posted: May 30, 2008 11:55 pm Eastern
WorldNetDaily

More than 900 illegal aliens have been sent packing after a three-week U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in California.

Half of the criminal aliens and fugitives arrested during the statewide sting have already been sent to their home countries. Since a large number of the illegals have faced previous deportation, immigration authorities immediately ousted them from the U.S.

The rest remain in police custody, awaiting travel arrangements for deportation or hearings before an immigration judge.

Brian DeMore, acting field officer director for ICE detention and removal operations in Los Angeles, issued a press release about his team's success.

"ICE is committed to protecting the integrity to this country's immigration system and that means ensuring that the removal orders handed down by the nation's immigration courts are carried out," he said. "As a country, we welcome law-abiding immigrants, but foreign nationals who violate our laws and commit crimes in our communities should be on notice that ICE is going to use all of the tools at its disposal to find you and send you home."

Immigration authorities sought out and detained a total of 905 illegal alien criminals in California – 327 in Los Angeles alone. Of the 327 arrested in L.A., 244 were fugitives aliens who have dodged deportation orders or who have returned to the U.S. after being evicted by authorities. Approximately 25 percent of L.A. illegals in custody have criminal histories, and one person has been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

16 migrants, hidden pot found by agents

FERNANDA ECHÁVARRI

Published: 05.31.2008

Sixteen illegal immigrants, two with criminal records; 2,600 pounds of marijuana; and human skeletal remains were found by Border Patrol on Thursday, authorities said.

Agents with the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector found an abandoned Chevrolet truck on the Tohono O'odham Nation Thursday morning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Rob Daniels said.

The truck was hidden under thick desert brush and had 2,600 pounds of marijuana inside, Daniels said.

Though agents searched the area for a driver, nobody was found.

In the afternoon, agents found 15 illegal immigrants northwest of Sasabe, Daniels said.

Agents took them into custody and database checks showed one had a warrant for his arrest in Alabama, he said.

The man, originally from El Salvador, was wanted on accusations of sexual assault and rape in 2006, Daniels said. He was turned over to Tucson police for extradition to Alabama.

Immigration sting nets 905 arrests in California

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN DIEGO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says agents have arrested more than 900 people in California on immigration violations during a three-week sting targeting people who ignored deportation orders.

The agency said Friday that 495 of the 905 people arrested were targeted in the operation. The other 410 just happened to be on the scene when agents arrived.

Northern California accounted for the most arrests, with 441. The Los Angeles area followed with 327 arrests. The San Diego area accounted for the other 137.

More entrant criminals face deportation

BLOOMBERG NEWS

The U.S. this year will mark for deportation more than 200,000 illegal immigrant criminals, a 22 percent increase from 164,000 in 2007, a senior Bush administration official said.

The planned removals reflect a stepped-up enforcement effort, said Julie Myers, the Homeland Security assistant secretary who runs Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The number marked for deportation last year was more than double the 64,000 in 2006.

"It means these folks won't get off onto the street and back into the community," Myers told reporters in Washington.

Immigration officials have been criticized by Democrats such as Rep. David Price of North Carolina, chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds enforcement, for not doing more to send violent felons back to their home countries.

Myers said her agency is screening all criminals in federal and state prisons for potential immigration violations and is doing more to check on those kept in community jails.

Immigration authorities also are tracking down more illegal immigrants who have violated court orders to leave the country, she said.

ICE teams up with Palm Beach Sheriff's Office to identify 182 foreign-born criminals detained

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A ten day comprehensive effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and removal officers and officers from the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office yielded the identification of 182 foreign-born criminals for deportation.

The operation dubbed "Secure Shores", which is part of ICE's Criminal Alien Program, began on May 5 and culminated Friday. The focus of the program is on identifying criminal aliens who are incarcerated within federal, state and local facilities to ensure that they are placed into removal proceedings so that they are not released into the community upon the completion of their criminal case.

During this operation, ICE officers screened foreign-born nationals detained at the Palm Beach County jail to determine which individuals were eligible for deportation. Among those identified, was Elias Toledo-Nasario, of Mexico who was charged with sexual assault and Roy Kennedy Cunningham who was charged with premeditated murder.

ICE officers placed 157 criminal illegal aliens into deportation proceedings, identified 19 immigration fugitives and six who illegally re-entered after being deported.

"Whether on the street or in jail, foreign-born criminals should know that ICE will track you down and ensure that you don't have another opportunity to hurt our law-abiding citizens, said Michael Rozos, ICE field office director for the Office of Detention and Removal in Florida. "We were glad to team up with PBSO in this great effort."

Last year under CAP, ICE charged a record 164,000 aliens in law enforcement custody with immigration violations and deported approximately 95,000 aliens with criminal histories. ICE estimates that approximately 300,000 to 450,000 convicted criminal aliens who are removable are detained each year at federal, state and local prisons and jails.

ICE operation targeting criminal aliens and illegal alien fugitives nets more than 39 arrests in Phoenix area

PHOENIX - More than 35 criminal aliens, immigration fugitives, and immigration violators have been removed from the United States or are facing deportation today, following a special enforcement action carried out over the past week by an interagency task force led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Team in Phoenix.

During the operation, ICE officers worked with partners from the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to locate, identify and arrest 39 illegal aliens. Of those taken into custody, 21 were immigration fugitives, aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation or who returned to the United States illegally after being removed. Seven of those arrested had criminal histories in addition to being in the country illegally.

Border Patrol Arrests Sex Offenders in Arizona

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Tucson, Ariz. – Within the last week, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents have arrested two men in separate incidents within the Tucson Border Patrol Sector who had convictions for sex-related offenses.

On April 18, 2008 a Douglas Border Patrol agent apprehended a male subject who was illegally present in the United States. The subject’s fingerprint information was entered into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Information System (IAFIS) where it was revealed that Domingo Marquez-Perez from Mexico, Mexico had an immigration and criminal history. Subsequent National Crime Information Center (NCIC) record checks stated that Marques-Perez had been previously arrested in North Carolina in 2005, for Statutory Rape 6 years of age or Older and Indecent Liberties with a Child. For this crime, Marquez pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in jail.

On April 22, 2008 a Border Patrol agent from the Wilcox Station apprehended a male subject, also illegally present in the United States. IAFIS and NCIC returns revealed that Juan Santana, a male subject from Michoacan, Mexico, had been previously arrested and convicted in Michigan for Criminal Sexual Conduct with Force or Coercion and was sentenced to 205 days in jail. Santana’s criminal history record also showed convictions for Carrying Concealed Weapons and Assault with Dangerous Weapons.

Feds urge other states to follow Ariz. inmate deportation policy

by Sean Holstege - Apr. 15, 2008 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

The nation's top immigration officials want other states to copy an Arizona program that releases non-violent, illegal-immigrant inmates from state prisons and deports them.

Only New York has a similar program, in which eligible inmates are turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for immediate deportation.

Arizona has referred 1,443 state prisoners to ICE, saving $18.6 million, since the program began in 2005, said Dora Schriro, director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. On average, inmates were released 210 days early.

Also, 28 were caught after slipping back across the border and were convicted of new crimes in Arizona. Three of them received initial sentences ranging from 2½ to 3½ years. Their crimes included aggravated assault, domestic violence and burglary.

Eligible inmates typically were convicted of crimes from drunken driving to lower-level drug charges. Early this month, the state turned over three inmates for deportation. Two were convicted of drug charges, one for driving a stolen car.

Schriro said Arizona was the first state to team up with ICE under the Rapid Repatriation program to help state prison officials identify illegal immigrants when they are booked.

"It's a great program. It keeps criminals off the streets of Arizona. It saves the state lots of money," ICE spokesman Vincent Picard said.

Immigration agency sweep wraps up with 332 arrests

By JENNIFER LEBOVICH

More than 300 foreign nationals accused of evading deportation and violating other immigration laws were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in South Florida during a two-week stretch, possibly the agency's largest roundup in Florida.

The 332 arrested, from 15 different countries, were brought in during a ''targeted enforcement'' operation by officers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman in Miami, said Sunday.

It may be the largest roundup in Florida since the agency was created in March 2003 when the functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service were folded into the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE plans to announce the results of the operation during a news conference Monday with Michael Rozos, the agency's Florida field office director.

Border Patrol in Texas Arrests Colombian Murder Suspect

Monday, April 07, 2008

Del Rio, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector, arrested an individual with an outstanding warrant of arrest for murder charges in New York City.

The arrest occurred Friday, when agents from the Carrizo Springs station were conducting line watch operations and tracking what appeared to be a group of undocumented aliens leading away from the Rio Grande River. The agents apprehended the group of undocumented aliens who all claimed to be Mexican nationals.

During processing, the subject’s fingerprints were submitted into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), where it was revealed that the subject had an extensive criminal history and that he was in fact a Colombian national and not a Mexican national as he had previously claimed. Record checks indicated the subject, a 34-year-old citizen from Colombia, had an outstanding warrant of arrest for one count of murder and one count of attempted murder in Queens, N.Y.

CBP Officers in Texas Nab Juvenile Wanted for Homicide

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Presidio, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Presidio port of entry apprehended a 15-year-old male being sought by law enforcement officers in Missouri in connection with a double homicide that occurred at a midtown Kansas City gas station the evening of April 19, 2007.

The apprehension was made at about 11 p.m. April 2 after a commercial bus arrived at the port of entry from neighboring Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico. CBP officers were inspecting bus passengers when they encountered a young man who was not carrying any identification. CBP officers obtained his name and date of birth and then performed a query on the subject, which indicated that he was wanted on an active homicide warrant out of Kansas City. CBP officers spent several hours working with the Kansas City police department to confirm that the subject they had in custody was the same individual for the warrant. After confirming the subjec'ts identity, the 15-year-old was turned over to the Presidio Police Department and transported to the Presidio County Jail pending extradition to Kansas City.

"This apprehension was the direct result of CBP officers thoroughly inspecting all the passengers on the bus and working hard to determine the identity of those who apply for entry to the U.S.," said John Prewit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Presidio Port Director. "Name queries and thorough inspections routinely result in fugitive apprehensions for CBP officers working at the Presidio port of entry and other international crossings. It is part of our mission to keep this country safe."

El Paso Border Patrol Agents Arrest Criminals with Extensive Records

Monday, March 31, 2008

El Paso, Texas – Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Paso station arrested two men with lengthy criminal histories over the weekend in two separate incidents after they attempted to illegally enter the United States.

On March 28, 2008, Border Patrol agents from El Paso apprehended a subject as he entered the United States illegally one-half mile west of the Paso Del Norte port of entry. Agents caught the subject attempting to hide inside a shed in the residential district near downtown El Paso. Initially, the individual claimed to be a citizen of Mexico. Agents transported the subject to Paso Del Norte Processing Center where he was entered into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). The results came back with a positive identification of the subject as a 37-year old U.S. citizen, and not a Mexican National as he originally claimed. The results also showed that he had two outstanding warrants for "Possession of Marijuana" and "Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution" as well as having been charged in Mexico for two alleged homicides. The FBI was notified and he was turned over to the El Paso County sheriff’s office pending an investigation.

The second subject was arrested Sunday, March 30, 2008, as Border Patrol agents from El Paso observed a subject enter the U.S. illegally 1.5 miles west of the Bridge of the Americas port of entry. Agents quickly responded and were able to apprehend the individual before he could disappear into a residential district. The subject was taken to the Paso Del Norte Processing Center for further investigation. During processing, record checks indicated that the subject, a 43-year-old Mexican National, also had an extensive criminal history to include approximately 50 arrests. Included in the criminal history were one count of "Homicide" and one count of "Assault with a Deadly Weapon" on a subject in the state of California. He was also previously sentenced to 24-months for "Assault on a Federal Officer". The subject is being held pending prosecution.

U.S. boosts deportation of illegals

March 17, 2008

By Jerry Seper - The Department of Homeland Security, continuing to enforce what it calls a "strict policy of arresting, prosecuting and jailing" illegal immigrants, deported a record number of those caught on the nation's borders last year — more than 280,000 in fiscal year 2007 compared with 186,000 a year earlier.

It was the largest number of illegals ever removed from the country in a single year.

The increase is attributable to what veteran law-enforcement authorities said is a revised apprehension process, adding that the department no longer is targeting only criminal illegals for removal, but seeks eventually to apprehend, charge and deport all those who cross illegally into the United States.

To that end, Homeland Security has initiated "Operation Streamline" along some sectors of the U.S.-Mexico border, which brings illegal immigrants into the U.S. criminal justice system, where they are prosecuted either for a misdemeanor on their first offense or a felony if they have been caught before.

"Under this program, individuals who are caught at certain designated high-traffic, high-risk zones are prosecuted and, if convicted, are jailed," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said at a recent press briefing.

Mr. Chertoff noted that between October and December, the Justice Department prosecuted 1,200 cases under the new program and, as a consequence, apprehension rates dropped nearly 70 percent in those areas.

"When people who cross the border illegally are brought to face the reality that they are committing a crime, even if it is just a misdemeanor, that has a huge impact on their willingness to try again and on the willingness of others to break the law coming across the border," he said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs said the agency's Office of Detention and Removal Operations deported to 195 countries a total of 280,523 illegal immigrants during fiscal 2007 — which ended Sept. 30.