ICE Continues to Crack Down
Author: Law Office of Alena Shautsova
The Obama Administration has been in a tough spot regarding immigration, with advocates on both sides of immigration reform clamoring for their demands. States that feel the Administration has failed to enforce existing immigration laws have passed their own more stringent laws. Other states that favor immigration leniency for immigrants who meet certain criteria are also frustrated. They see more immigrants deported under Obama's watch than under previous administrations.
The latest policy interpretation under the Obama Administration allows prosecutorial discretion, which shifts the focus on deporting only those immigrants with criminal convictions and repeated immigration violations.
According to Fox News, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the results of its most recent Cross Check enforcement operation conducted in all 50 states, Puerto Rice, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The Cross Check operation led to arresting over 3,100 immigrants who had criminal and civil violations.
The operation conformed with the Administration's commitment to removing illegal immigrants who pose public safety and national security threats along with repeated immigration violators. Arrest statistics showed that:
- 2,834 of those arrested had prior criminal convictions
- 1,063 had multiple criminal convictions that included:
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- Murder
- Manslaughter
- Attempted murder
- Kidnapping
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Armed robbery
- Terrorist threats
- Drug trafficking
- Child abuse
- Battery on a child
- Sexual crimes against minors
- Aggravated assault
If you face deportation charges, seek legal help as soon as possible. A skilled New York immigration lawyer may be able to help you avert deportation, especially if your activities are not within the scope of ICE's deportation focus.