ICE Arrests 45 NYC Immigrants In Nationwide Sweep

NEW YORK CITY — Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 45 immigrants in New York this week in a nationwide operation targeting cities that seek to protect undocumented immigrants. ICE arrested a total of 498 people from Sunday to Wednesday in 10 jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, ICE said in a news release Thursday.

Thirty of those arrested in New York had past criminal convictions, while 15 people had no criminal history, ICE said. Nationally, 317 arrested immigrants 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.

It will ultimately be up to a judge to decide which of the New York immigrants are deported, ICE spokeswoman Rachael Yong Yow told Patch in an email. ICE cannot say how people are targeted for arrests because it is sensitive law-enforcement information, Yong Yow said.

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The 498 people arrested nationwide represent 42 countries, ICE said. Those who have standing deportation orders or who returned to the U.S. after being deported will be removed right away, the agency said. It's ultimately

ICE's "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. New York City does not honor those detention requests and does not give ICE access to city facilities.

Other areas targeted this week include Los Angeles, Baltimore, Massachusetts and Portland, Oregon, ICE said.

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