Thread: ICE arrests 20 in Kalamazoo area

ICE arrests 20 in Kalamazoo area

By Todd A. Heywood | 03.04.11 | 10:11 am

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wrapped up a four day operation Wednesday and rounded up 20 undocumented workers.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports the individuals arrested had been convicted of crimes or had ignored an order of the courts to leave the country. The paper reports 15 of the people arrested were from Mexico and the remaining five were from places such as Nigeria and China.

ICE agents say that those convicted of crimes had been charged with domestic violence, narcotics possession, drunk driving and burglary. The workers are being held in an ICE detention facility in Calhoun county. Those with deportation orders well sent back to their countries, while others will have to go before a federal judge.

As in other situations where ICE agents conducted operations, local law enforcement was not aware of the raids which were conducted at various businesses including eateries, other businesses and the homes of the those arrested.

Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley told the paper the while he was unaware of the operation, he supported it because “they are ridding our community of bad people.â€

Latinos are saying the hispanic community is being persecuted but if you look at the ratio of non hispanic deportees to hispanics you will see the hispanic community houses many more illegals than any other community.