Thread: 2,000 arrested in immigration sweep

2,000 arrested in immigration sweep

Operation focuses on fugitives, others with criminal pasts

BY WILLIAM M. WELCH
Gannett News Service

June 15, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Federal agents have arrested more than 2,000 illegal immigrants, many of them convicted criminals, child predators, gang members and fugitives, in sweeps across the country during the past three weeks, authorities said Wednesday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Operation Return to Sender was the latest in a series of crackdowns on illegal immigrants since Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff promised a tougher enforcement effort in April.

The arrests were in 34 states and the District of Columbia. The most, 722, were in California. There were none in Oregon.

In Southern California, agents focused on illegal immigrants with a record of sexual offenses against children, said Kumar Kibble, the assistant special agent in charge for Orange County. He said that the agency "targeted the greatest threats" with its operation, which ended with the announcement.

Nationwide, the people arrested included 146 previously convicted of sex offenses involving minors; 367 alleged members or associates of violent gangs; and 640 fugitive immigrants who had failed to comply with orders to leave. An additional 121 people were arrested on charges of felony re-entry after deportation, illegal- alien possession of a firearm and similar charges.

Statesman Journal reporter Dan de Carbonel contributed to this story.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pb ... 50349/1001

The costs associated with these operations must be significant and the results which clearly show a revolving door re-entry by illegal aliens is ridiculous. At some point a more definitive method will evolve to stop this wastefullness.

Can you say PR stunt? The only reason they are doing this is because it's an election year and Jorge Bush is trying to fool conservatives into accepting his shamensty program and making them think he's serious about enforcing our laws when he's really not.

Perhaps when someone in the federal government gets a child hammered to death by an illegal alien from Mexico as had happened in Stafford, NJ, then maybe something will change.

Were the kids born here? It isn't clear.