Thread: Sweep nets 326 arrests in area

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4135099.html

Aug. 23, 2006, 12:59AM
IMMIGRATION
Sweep nets 326 arrests in area
Operation that targets criminals, fugitives criticized

By ARMANDO VILLAFRANCA
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Houston immigration officers arrested 326 immigrants during a weeklong operation, part of a nationwide crackdown on those who had criminal backgrounds or had resisted deportation.

One local Hispanic leader, however, criticized the operation, accusing authorities of questioning Hispanics of their legal status at random.

Of those arrested, 190 are immigration violators; 30 are fugitive criminals; 89 are non-criminal fugitives; 17 are illegal immigrants with criminal convictions.

One immigrant, Juan Aldaco-Garcia, a 46-year-old Mexican national, was arrested Aug. 14 at his Houston home where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized about 588 pounds of marijuana.

"Criminal aliens are a threat to the safety of our children, families, community and our nation," said Kenneth L. Landgrebe, field-office director for the ICE Detention and Removal Operations office in Houston, in a statement.

"Our goal is to remove these threats from the United States," he said.

Landgrebe said the arrests were part of a nationwide crackdown dubbed Operation Return to Sender.

The weeklong operation, which ended Monday, was carried out during a congressional hearing in Houston on crimes committed by immigrants.

Landgrebe said the operation and hearing were not connected. "It was unrelated. It just happens that way sometimes," Landgrebe said.

Jose Luis Jimenez, League of United Latin American Citizens deputy district director in Houston, said federal agents targeted predominantly Hispanic apartment complexes, questioning Hispanics about their legal status even though they were not on the list of targeted immigrants.

Landgrebe dismissed the charges, saying only immigrants wanted for immigration violations were targeted.

"We don't conduct indiscriminate raids. This was all based on investigative leads and good law enforcement work," Landgrebe said.

Rick Dovalina, LULAC district director in Houston, however, said arguments against the operation were hard to defend because the immigrants rounded up last week had skipped their immigration hearings or absconded to avoid deportation.

"Mom and Pop who live down the street haven't been to an immigration hearing," Dovalina said. "Once you're assigned a hearing, you're supposed to go to the hearing."

avillafranca@chron.com

Rick Dovalina, LULAC district director in Houston, however, said arguments against the operation were hard to defend because the immigrants rounded up last week had skipped their immigration hearings or absconded to avoid deportation.

"Mom and Pop who live down the street haven't been to an immigration hearing," Dovalina said. "Once you're assigned a hearing, you're supposed to go to the hearing."

This is an amazing statement. At least this Hispanic organization is willing to differentiate. I guess they're realizing we can't ever get to talking about Mom and Pop while the criminal elements enjoy free run.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spe ... 33758.html

Aug. 22, 2006, 1:47PM
Immigration officers arrest 326 in Houston crackdown


Associated Press

Authorities have arrested 326 people in the Houston area, including some accused of murder, as part of a national crackdown on illegal immigrants.

They were accused of crimes including homicide, aggravated sexual assault of minors, robbery, assault, human smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

"Criminal aliens are a threat to the safety of our children, families, community and our nation," said Kenneth L. Landgrebe, field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Detention and Removal Operations office in Houston. "Our goal is to remove these threats from the United States."

Thirty of those arrested were fugitive criminal immigrants with final orders of deportation, 89 were non-criminal fugitives with final orders of deportation and 17 were illegal aliens with criminal convictions. The rest were immigration violators.

Immigration officials have deported 142 of those arrested to their home countries, which include Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, India and Pakistan.

The initiative, dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," targeted illegal immigrants who had received final removal orders from a federal immigration judge. It began May 26 and ended Monday.

Duplicate article. Posted earlier. Please watch the duplicates.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=33156