Mar 12, 2007 6:57 pm US/Mountain

12 Immigrants Arrested For Sex Crimes In Utah

(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Twelve immigrants convicted of child sex crimes are in jail and could be headed back to their home countries.

The office of immigration made the busts this week as part of a nationwide crackdown.

Many of them are registered sex offenders right here in the Salt Lake Valley.

The way immigration law works is even if you are here legally in the United States, if you commit a violent crime, like a sex crime, you stand to be deported.

Of the 12 arrests, three of the immigrants were here illegally and will be deported as early as next week.

Mark they way immigration law works, if you are a convicted sex offender in the United States, even if you’re here legally or otherwise, you face being deported.

The immigration office nationwide has been cracking down on sex offenders; that includes the office here in Utah.

This week 12 immigrants were arrested. That makes 50 in the last couple of stings.

Mark Fitz-Randolph from the U.S. Office of Immigration says his office will aggressively try to get the sex offenders out of the United States.

“I think they’re very dangerous,” says Fitz-Randolph. “They preyed basically on children. The youngest was 3 years old up to 14 or 15.”

At least three of those arrested could be deported as soon as next week, that’s because they were here illegally. The others will go before an immigration judge.

http://kutv.com/local/local_story_073205853.html