ICE Arrests 28 Baltimore Immigrants In Nationwide Sweep

BALTIMORE, MD — Almost 30 people were detained in a customs sweep this week in Baltimore that was part of a nationwide operation, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Federal officers arrested 28 undocumented immigrants in Baltimore as part of a targeted enforcement initiative called "Operation Safe City."

ICE arrested 498 people from Sunday to Wednesday in 10 jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the agency said in a news release Thursday.

Authorities said that a woman who was a citizen of El Salvador was among the 28 people arrested in Baltimore.

She had come into the U.S. using a fraudulent passport and had previously been convicted of first-degree assault and attempted murder/conspiracy to commit murder, officials reported.

The woman had been released from local custody before ICE could take custody of her, according to customs enforcement.

"Operation Safe City'" targets so-called sanctuary municipalities that don't honor ICE's requests to detain arrested immigrants, don't let ICE agents into local jails, or both.

Of those arrested, 317 had past criminal convictions for crimes ranging from traffic violations to sexual abuse, ICE said. The largest proportion of those — about 27 percent — had been found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to ICE numbers.

Other areas targeted this week include Los Angeles, New York and Portland, Oregon, among others.

— By Noah Manskar (Patch Staff)

(Lead image by John Moore / Getty Images / Getty Images Staff)