Dallas ICE Agents Arrest 200 Criminal Illegal Immigrants

Dallas sweep includes Oklahoma, West Texas

Dallas ICE agents arrested more than 200 convicted criminal illegal immigrants last week during a nationwide sweep that resulted in more than 3,100 arrests.

On Monday, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the results of "Operation: Cross Check," a six-day operation involving nearly 2,000 law enforcement officers of all sorts who rounded-up illegal immigrants who were also convicted criminals.

“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation's immigration system,” said ICE Director John Morton. “Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers and agents in tracking down criminal aliens and fugitives, there are 3,168 fewer criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators in our neighborhoods across the country.”

In the Dallas Area of Responsibility (AOR), which includes 128 North and West Texas counties and the state of Oklahoma, 206 arrests were made -- 169 of which were in Texas.

Breaking it down even further, there were arrests in 48 North Texas cities including Dallas (16 arrests), Arlington (10 arrests) and Amarillo (10 arrests). In Oklahoma, there were arrests in 10 cities including Oklahoma City (14 arrests) and Tulsa (11 arrests).

Of the 2,834 criminals arrested:

  • 1,063 had multiple convictions
  • 1,477 were for violent felonies (murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, assault, etc.)
  • 50 were gang members
  • 149 were convicted sex offenders
  • 698 were immigration fugitives who had previously been ordered to leave the country
  • 559 were illegal re-entrants who had been removed from the country and had returned

Some highlights of the arrests from the Dallas AOR include:

  • On March 29, a 52-year-old man from Mexico was arrested in Dallas who had been convicted of sexual assault.
  • On March 24, a 40-year-old man from Mexico, who was a fugitive criminal alien, was arrested in Kaufman, Texas, who had convictions for burglary of a building and a habitation, escape from custody, interference of duties with a public servant, resisting arrest, and possessing a controlled substance.
  • On March 25, a 32-year-old man from Pakistan was arrested in Watauga, Texas, who had been convicted of kidnapping.
  • On March 25, a 33-year-old man from Mexico was arrested in Tulsa, Okla., who had convictions for illegally carrying a loaded firearm, possessing cocaine, and grand larceny.
  • On March 27, a 22-year-old man from Liberia was arrested in Abilene, Texas, who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a child.
  • On March 28, a 31-year-old man from Mexico was arrested in Lubbock, Texas, who had been convicted of aggravated assault on a public servant.

"Because of their serious criminal histories and prior immigration arrest records, at least 204 of those arrested during the enforcement action were presented to U.S attorneys for prosecution on a variety of charges including illegal re-entry after deportation, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison," ICE said in a news release Monday.

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