ICE Target Operation Arrests 37 Criminal Aliens in Chicago Area

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 37 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in the Chicago area.

This operation concluded Sunday, September 9, 2012, and was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations Teams.

Of the 37 arrested, 31 had convictions for crimes such as: homicide, carrying a concealed weapon, identity theft, possessing cocaine, illegally using a weapon, battery, forgery, aggravated drunken driving and domestic violence. Twelve of the 37 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; 11 of those are convicted criminals in addition to having outstanding deportation orders. Six of the 37 – including three convicted criminals – had been previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 37 men who were arrested during this operation:

Mexico (34), Poland (1), Guatemala (1) and Trinidad (1). Chicago had the most arrests (10); additional arrests were made in the following northern Illinois cities: Aurora (2), Berwyn (1), Bolingbrook (1), Calumet (2), Elgin (8), Hoffman Estates (1), Huntley (1), Joliet (2), Palatine (4), Round Lake Beach (1) and West Chicago (1).

Three arrests were also made in Hammond, Ind.

Following are summaries of three individuals arrested during this operation:

·                             A 48-year-old Mexican national was twice deported from the United States and illegally re-entered. He was previously convicted of battery/bodily harm, unlawfully using a weapon, disorderly conduct and illegally re-entering the United States. He was arrested Sept. 7 in Palatine and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

·                             A 54-year-old Polish national was twice deported to Poland and was previously convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison. He also has three prior convictions for drunken driving, and a conviction for retail theft. He was arrested Sept. 9 in Chicago and remains in ICE custody. He will be presented for criminal prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

·                             A 35-year-old Mexican national was previously convicted of possessing drugs, theft and attempting deceptive practices. He was arrested Sept. 8 in Round Lake Beach and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

"These latest arrests of convicted criminals and egregious immigration violators underscore ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said Ricardo Wong, field office director of ERO Chicago. "By conducting targeted enforcement actions like this operation, we immediately improve the safety of our communities."

These arrests were coordinated with ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives – aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation's immigration courts. ICE's Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders.