US ICE men to deport Robin Hoods
Breaking News


(BangkokPost.com) - US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Teams in the Los Angeles area have arrested and are about to depart an unknown number of Thais.

Those arrested were caught in an ICE sweep last week targetting illegal immigrants and overstaying aliens who also had been convicted of criminal charges, according to immigration spokesmen.

The ICE's Los Angeles website did not say how many Thais were caught up in the sweep, which jailed nationals of 18 countries. Most of the 345 people held are Mexicans, but 130 are from other countries including Thailand, officials said.

"Since many of these individuals have already been through immigration proceedings, they are subject to immediate removal from the country."

ICE men and women in the Los Angeles area primarily work against Hispanic gangs, trying to arrest and deport convicted criminals among the gang members. They have made more than 1,000 arrests so far this year alone.

But Los Angeles is also where the greatest number of Thai immigrants live in the United States, including illegal Thais, known at home as Robin Hoods.

"We want to send a strong message to those who ignore deportation orders handed down by the nation's immigration judges that ICE is going to use all of the tools and resources at its disposal to find you and send you home," said Brian DeMore, acting field office director for ICE detention and removal operations in Los Angeles.

ICE Fugitive Operations Teams across the United States have arrested more than 72,000 illegal aliens since the first teams were created in 2003. The number of Thais arrested and deported was not available from the Los Angeles office.

Spokesmen said there are 585,000 illegal aliens on the ICE fugitive wanted list, and claim the agency's targeted enforcement strategy is paying off.

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