I.C.E. News Release

March 16, 2010

New Arizona air operations facility to enhance ICE removal operations

MESA, Ariz. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday unveiled a new 25,000 square foot facility in the Phoenix area that is expected to significantly bolster the agency's efforts to repatriate Central Americans who are found to be in the United States illegally.

Overseen by ICE Detention and Removal Operations (DRO), the new Arizona Removal Operations Coordination Center (AROCC), located at the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, will house 79 ICE employees and up to 157 temporary detainees who are awaiting removal to countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

"As ICE continues to increase its capacity to remove aliens from the United States, the AROCC will provide us with the space and resources we need to complete our mission quickly and efficiently," said ICE Arizona Field Office Director Katrina S. Kane.

This year, ICE's Arizona Office of Detention and Removal Operations expects to repatriate more than 22,000 Central Americans, double the number of removals recorded in 2006. The AROCC is expected to be a key hub for ICE's Flight Operations Unit, which operates a network of flight centers across the United States to effectively manage the detention and removal of aliens unlawfully present in the United States.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE comprises four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 18, 2010
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/1003/100316mesa.htm