Thread: ICE to illegal immigrants: 'We are coming after you'

ICE to illegal immigrants: 'We are coming after you'
By Rachel Uranga, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 01/28/2008



ICE officers knock at the door at a home in the 13000 block of ...
(Tina Burch/Staff Photographer)

Immigration officials expect to ramp up their crackdown on criminal and fugitive illegal immigrants in Los Angeles over the next year - including raids Monday in the San Fernando Valley - saying they're already on track to break last year's record arrest numbers.

"The message here is that if you are an individual that has entered the country illegally, who has been ordered removed and not departed, we are coming after you," said Brian DeMore, deputy field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention and removal operations.

"And if you are a criminal who has committed crimes against our citizens, we are going to come back after you with more vigor."

Between October 2006 and September 2007, agents arrested 2,667 immigration violators in the L.A. area, a 63percent increase from the same time the prior year.

Citing arrests between October and December of last year, ICE officials say the number this year will be even larger. In those three months, agents arrested 700 illegal immigrants, including 130 with criminal records.

On Monday, agents continued their efforts, arresting two Valley men during early morning warrant checks. With five teams dedicated to the Southland, agents are arresting immigration violators almost daily, ICE officials said.

One of those arrested Monday, Salvador Martinez, said he expected that immigration would eventually track him down.

"It was always in my mind all the time," said the 38-year Nicaraguan immigrant.
Martinez had been warming up his car waiting to take his children to school when agents arrested him. Though he is a legal resident, he was convicted in 2002 in the oral copulation of a minor - his wife's younger sister - and sentenced to three years' probation.

He shares a one-bedroom Sun Valley apartment with his wife; two daughters, ages 10 and 6; and his 4-year-old son.

"We have to take charge and responsibility for what we did," said Martinez, who came to the United States at age 15 to escape the violence of his country's civil war. "My big concern now is my kids. Who is going to take care of them?"

Martinez said he is likely to return to the ranch his mother owns in Nicaragua. There is no running water or electricity there.

"I feel more American now," he said, "because I have lived here half of my life."


http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8104586

[i]“Who can it be, knocking at my door..?!â€

Guess what "parents" means you idiot....

"My big concern now is my kids. Who is going to take care of them?"

Only 700 arrests in three months! My God, what are we paying these people for???

I hope those numbers are not for the nation and are only for California.

It would be completely pathetic if the entire ICE agency could only average about 8 illegal alien arrests per day!

W

It's the lack of will, W.

What's taking them so long to do this. They can go to every Home Depot in the State of California and get at least 700 in one day.

I believe there is no will, even on behalf of those paid to remove these criminals to do this work.

The apathy and lack of desire to remove these invaders is at an all time high. What's it going to take to get this job done?

"It was always in my mind all the time," said the 38-year Nicaraguan immigrant.
Martinez had been warming up his car waiting to take his children to school when agents arrested him. Though he is a legal resident, he was convicted in 2002 in the oral copulation of a minor - his wife's younger sister - and sentenced to three years' probation."

Why was not this convicted felon PHYSICALLY DEPORTED back in 2002. Why are these people being given deportation letters to turn themselves in, as any of them ever obey such orders.

The wording of the story implies that the stats. pertain to the LA area alone, but doesn't really make things all that clear. Also, as the ICE spokesperson said, they are going after absconders/overstays/criminal alien fugities - the 'garden variety IA' essentially does not really appear on their 'radar'.

I think in fairness to the rank-and-file ICE folks, they probably do have a HUGE backlog of cases to work through. And, they are required to do a lot of background work to find the appropriate time/place/circumstance to actually do an arrest (especially important when kids are potentially involved). This extra consideration is deemed 'necessary' to protect kids that may be in the vicinity of the actual arrest. Plus, another big concern I have is that they (ICE) tend to shy away from arrests in the workplace. This is bad policy, I believe, as it skirts the issue of dealing with (ie. CHARGING) the illegal employer with a crime. Whenever possible, they SHOULD do the apprehension in the workplace as much as possible.

Anybody lurking here that might be willing to give a first-hand look into the inner workings of ICE at the moment....(even anonymously )?

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

Guess what "parents" means you idiot....

"My big concern now is my kids. Who is going to take care of them?"

Maybe the Mexican Catholic Church should take care of them, or perhaps the Chicago Methodists should send their tithes to Mexico.