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Queens Residents Among 225 Immigrants Detained in 6-Day ICE Crackdown

(ICE)

April 17, 2018 By Tara Law

A 56-year-old East Elmhurst resident with multiple criminal convictions was among 225 immigrants arrested in a 6-day crackdown by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Queens residents were among the immigrants rounded up in a six-day initiative the agency is referring to as “Operation Keep Safe in New York,” which centered on New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island.

Of the 225 immigrants arrested, 180 had criminal convictions or pending charges, according to ICE. More than 80 had been issued a final order of removal from the U.S. or had returned to the U.S. after being deported.

Thomas R. Decker, New York field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, attacked New York City’s sanctuary city policy in a statement issued Tuesday, arguing that the City is protecting criminals.

“The fact is that a so-called ‘sanctuary city’ does not only provide refuge to those who are here against immigration law, but also provides protections for criminal aliens who prey on the people in their own communities by committing crimes at all levels,” said Decker. “ICE is committed to enforcing the immigration laws set forth by Congress with integrity, despite the push-back and rhetoric within the city they serve.”

Among the people captured was a 56-year-old East Elmhurst resident. The man, a Haitian national, has prior convictions of second degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon.

A 38-year-old Jamaica resident, who is a Jamaican national, was also arrested. The man was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree for sexual contact with a child who is less than 14 years old.

ICE declined to release the men’s names or to give any further details about the roundup. 

In the past year, critics have condemned the agency for increasingly targeting undocumented immigrants without criminal records.

Last week, lawyers from the Legal Aid Society of New York and Queens Law Associates staged a walkout at Queens Criminal Court to protest ICE’s detentions of two undocumented immigrants at the courthouse.

In Tuesday’s press release, ICE claimed that New York’s sanctuary city policies are responsible for compelling the agency to conduct mass arrests, arguing that the policy has become necessary as the police have begun releasing people from jail instead of turning them over to ICE.

“ICE has no choice but to continue to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests, instead of focusing on arrests at jails and prisons where transfers are safer for ICE officers and the community,” ICE said.

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33 Comments

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The Truth.

I’ve never saw a illegal immigrant on the show ” To Catch a Predator ” with Chris Hansen , just some good ol’ American men.
Building that wall won’t help.
Timothy McVeigh was a American citizen

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tony

Way to go off topic once again “The Truth”. Always deflecting aren’t you? The fact is that you don’t really know know if you’ve watching an illegal alien or not on your predator show. A criminals immigration status is not disclosed by the “open boarder” sanctuary advocates.

p.s. try watching news instead of your kiddie prev show.

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The Truth.

Tony I do watch the news ,
Al-Jazeera
BBC news.
Not the news channel that your President himself calls “Fake News”.

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The Truth.

Keep the hard workers ( the ones that do the work that no one wants to do ) and send the criminals back. Simple , PUNISH THE VIOLENT CRIMINALS.

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tony

Again? They’re all criminals! All illegal aliens and trespassing. They are all stealing, lying and cheating the system.

Illegal aliens take advantage of America’s generosity. The use and strain the resources of our schools (from k though universities), transit, hospitals, food stamps, WIC, police and fire services, sanitation and a dozen others. None of which they pay for.

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Joe at the Berkley

Tony : Again you show your ignorance. Social Security Numbers: Everyone in the household that is applying for benefits must have or apply for a Social Security number. We Conservatives don’t need you uninformed liars in our ranks to make our case.

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Kevin

Tony- You keep ignoring the crime committed by the companies and people hiring illegals. You sound like an elitist phony. Since when is Americans seeking slave labor a form of generosity? You’re one warped individual.

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tony

Our generosity is in the form of “free” education, police and fire protection, health care, subsidized MTA fares, schools that feed their children, sanitation etc.. These things and more supplied at the expense of US citizens. All to people who have no right to be here, illegals. And you are wrong attaching SS#’s with food stamps. Not everyone in a household needs to supply and SS# for that household to receive SNAP benefits. You are not fare off when you compare working illegals to slavery. That’s another reason for securing our boarders. It’s all part of the “doing jobs Americans won’t do” myth. Truth is Americans won’t do these jobs for an under the table $5 hr.

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tony

“Ignorance” “elitist” “phony” “liar” I considerate a victory when the other side resorts to the ad hominem.

tony

Kevin, no one is ignoring “companies and people hiring illegals”. If they are skirting the law and are knowingly hiring these “slaves” the book should be thrown at them. Unfortunately in our PC society to question an employees legal status is in itself illegal. You’ll open yourself to discrimination charges, lawsuits, boycotts, picketing and being labeled a racist. An employee does not need an actual SS card to work. All that is needed is to recite nine digits. This number can be fictitious, stolen, shared or otherwise fraudulent. And to boot, ten dependents are often claimed so as to minimize or completely eliminate any tax withholding.

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Kevin

Kevin- Keep listening to Fox News, you’re not misinformed enough.When an employe is brought on board the law states you must submit a social security card and one form of a gov’t issued ID like a drivers license or non drivers license, passport or an INS card (for “legal immigrants”.) All social security numbers must be verified. These verifications must be filed and stored on company property and available to proper authorities for inspection. As for over withholdals, if there are “10” dependants declared, a copy of the employees W4 form is sent into IRS for verification. Nothing about political correctness or discrimination, just the letter of the law, plain and simple. Your song and dance was just ridiculous. How come the illegal immigrants are “breaking” the law and the employers are only “skirting” the law. That in itself is a great example of bias and targeted brainwashing.

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Anonymous

A person I know was detained. Worked here legally for 30 years and only had one dui on record and they arrested him at work. A week later still have him detained without charges, legal council nor has he seen a judge. They are rounding up so many at once some people are waiting months in jail without seeing a judge.

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tony

Do you mean without free “legal council”? Does he have family here? Are they also “legal”?

After 30 years I would think that he would have either diligently pursued citizenship or at least planned for this (inevitable) possibly.

30 years ago Ronald Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law. The bill made millions illegal immigrants eligible for amnesty. Was/is he waiting for another Ronald Reagan

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PG

A 38-year-old Jamaica resident, who is a Jamaican national, was also arrested. The man was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree for sexual contact with a child who is less than 14 years old.

Billy come by, I’ll treat you like a beef patty

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Anonymous

What about those immigrants that made a mistake 10 and 15 years ago and have since learned their lesson? That work hard to support a family and haven’t gotten in trouble since? That pay their taxes and do the right thing?? I’m just saying everyone deserves a second chance. I can understand about the criminals that are continuing doing bad but we also have to look at the ones doing good!

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The Truth.

Tell that to the victims and their families.
“Give them a second chance, they learned their lesson”.

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Tree of Liberty

Hoping the budget for Ice is increased. Ice is doing an excellent productive job keeping us all safe… keep up the good work. We all appreciate your hard dedicated work…

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Grits

It’s funny how everyone is jumping in the bandwagon, saying the same thing
I guess that’s what in

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No

I guess those who are nonwhite should carry copies of birth certificates if born in US. Just saying.

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Rudy

Tony…haha want to bring race into it? Lets start by saying the only race that should legally be here are the Native Americans. I am proud to be one as well as many of my brothers and sisters who have struggled in this hellhole brought by you “whites”. Lets start by deporting you whites back to europe, you blacks back to Africa and you asians back to Asia! This land was never meant for fools like you. Those Mexicans you want to deport are more american than you or any president that there has ever been. NATIVE PRIDE!

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Billy

Nice fluff piece for ICE. Lowlifes are people who make it their job to rip communities apart and refer to other human beings as “illegal.” Publish some more articles highlighting the scary pedophile boogeymen from a far away land who is ruining your neighborhood is. Keep sowing division. Great work.

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Lenny

Census Queens County 2010
–Total Population 2,230,722
–Foreign Born Population 1,098,020
I often fear that non-criminals will also be dragged out of their homes in handcuffs.

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tony

Can you cite the specifics of “–Foreign Born Population 1,098,020” ?
How many are in Queens legally, and how many are not?

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