Thread: OK-New ICE office to open in Tulsa

New ICE office to open in Tulsa
It will investigate the hiring of alleged illegal workers at potential terrorist targets.

SUPPORTER
John Sullivan: He said he helped lead the effort to establish the new investigative office.
By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
Published: 4/20/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 4/20/2009 3:10 AM

Immigration officials are opening a new office in Tulsa to investigate human trafficking, drug smuggling and the employment of illegal workers at potential terrorist targets such as oil refineries and airports, an official said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is establishing a Resident Agent in Charge Office in Tulsa, said John Chakwin, special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Dallas.

The establishment of the new office with ICE funding is being announced Monday.

The Resident Agent in Charge Office is expected to open officially in late August and will be located at the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, Chakwin said.

"This office will have all the investigative powers of handling crimes and incidents involving the U.S. border," Chakwin said.

Possible crimes include: Narcotics peddling, child pornography, document fraud, international money laundering, human trafficking, intellectual property rights violations, gangs and other crimes involving the nation's borders, Chakwin said.

Additional areas of emphasis will involve Homeland security protection of critical infrastructure at airports, military bases, sea ports and oil refineries, Chakwin said.

That means that the Tulsa area could see investigations of employees at Tulsa International Airport or the Port of Catossa if needed, he said.

"We will follow up on tips and we would review workers (documents) to see if they are legitimate," Chakwin said.

Rep. John Sullivan, R-Okla., said he helped lead the effort to establish the new investigative office. Sullivan emphasized that the investigations will focus on criminal activity rather than an ethnic group.

"We will crack down on transnational gangs, sex predators and document fraud which are really on the rise," Sullivan said. "This new office will not target an ethic group. The only ones having anything to fear are the criminals."

Sullivan said that data on criminal activity support the need for a Resident Agent in Charge Office in Tulsa.

Evidence of criminal activity and transnational gangs include several arrests made on July 17, 2008.

On that date, ICE officials and local law enforcement announced the arrest of 45 gang members, gang associates and immigration violators during a six-day local effort of an ongoing national ICE program called "Operation Community Shield," said ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok.

Fifteen of those arrested were transnational gang members who are aliens and who were processed for deportation following any pending criminal charges against them, ICE records show.

Sullivan has been a leading advocate of protecting U.S. borders and enforcing immigrations laws to curb illegal immigration.

In about 2002, Sullivan secured funding to increase the number of immigration officers in Oklahoma from four to 12 officers, he said.


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Omer Gillham
omer.gillham@tulsaworld.com



http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article. ... migr703541

I am always happy when ICE expands! They have an awesome amount of responcibility. I respect the work they do to protect Americans.