ICE sweep nets 15 from SouthCoast
August 09, 2008 6:00 AM

A statewide Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweep targeting foreign nationals involved in gang activity and other crimes led to the arrest of 15 SouthCoast residents this week, ICE officials said Friday.

Ten Fall River residents, four New Bedford residents and one Dartmouth resident were rounded up in the four-day operation, which ICE officials said is the largest they have conducted in the state to date. The sweep was part of a nationwide effort, known as Operation Community Shield, that aims to crack down on violent transnational street gangs.

"Here in Massachusetts, we have never done an operation of this magnitude," said Matthew Etre, deputy special agent-in-charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Boston.

The sweep, which the agency carried out with help from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, led to the arrests of 80 individuals and impacted 17 communities, Mr. Etre said. Of the 80 residents who were arrested, 52 were gang members or associates and the other 28 were criminals whose crimes could have included an immigration violation such as re-crossing the border after being deported. Many of those arrested had a history of violent crime, according to ICE.

The sweep also resulted in the seizure of approximately one kilogram each of heroin and cocaine and $7,200 in cash.

The four arrested in New Bedford are not affiliated with gangs, but have criminal convictions "that make them subject to removal from the United States," said ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier. She said their convictions were related to drug trafficking and battery with a dangerous weapon. She said two were from Cape Verde, one was from Cuba and the other was from Portugal. All are U.S. permanent residents.

The Dartmouth resident also was arrested for public safety reasons rather than gang activity, Ms. Grenier said. She said the aggravated felon was a U.S. permanent resident from Portugal.

In Fall River, one of the 10 residents was a U.S. citizen arrested on state criminal charges. The others were permanent residents, including four from Cambodia and five from Portugal. Their criminal convictions ranged from drug possession to assault with a dangerous weapon to malicious destruction of property. Four of the 10 were gang affiliates.

In a statement, Fall River Police Chief John M. Souza said the department's cooperation with ICE and other agencies showed their ability to "work cooperatively together to achieve a common goal of public safety in our community."

"This operation and ICE's research and enforcement efforts have impacted significantly and positively on our community and as a result made it a safer place," he said.

Statewide, those arrested represented 24 different gangs, including Tiny Rascals, Bloods, Crips, 18th Street, MS-13 and the Deuce Boys, according to ICE. They included foreign nationals from Barbados, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Trinidad and Vietnam. Six of the 80 were U.S. citizens, 55 were U.S. permanent residents who may be removable from the U.S. based on their criminal history, 14 were illegally residing in the United States, three had re-entered the U.S. illegally after being deported, and two were wanted on warrants of deportation.

"Individuals who were arrested have been processed and will be subject to removal proceedings," said Ms. Grenier, who said most are being held at ICE detention centers.

In a statement, Bruce M. Foucart, special agent-in-charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Boston, said the operation "should reassure the public that ICE is committed to putting public safety first. Every individual targeted as part of this operation has a criminal record. Criminal aliens should be on notice that ICE is working closely with local law enforcement to take off the streets those who threaten the very safety of our neighborhoods."

Corinn Williams, an immigrant advocate who heads up the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, said she was concerned by ICE's "rhetoric" in response to the sweep.

"I think ICE is really working hard on its public image to depict that they are doing something to fight violent crime and, in a sense, they are grasping at straws because they need to bolster their image," she said. "They do not have a very good reputation in New Bedford given what happened during the (Michael Bianco) workplace raid."

She said the agency's "broad-brush approach" to the operation could end up in the arrest of immigrants who are not involved in gang activity but who may have an immigration violation because they were afraid to show up for court for a legitimate reason such as fear of persecution.

Family members and community leaders in Lowell rallied Friday in protest of the arrest of 25 Cambodian Americans arrested in the sweep, according to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

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