On February of 2017 federal immigration agents arrested 41 people in the State of New York. After the arrests the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided details as to why these individuals were detained. These individuals had been convicted of offenses against children, convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, rape, robbery and cocaine distribution convictions. All of these convictions are considered aggravated felonies and are therefore offenses that individuals can be deported for.
Thomas R. Decker, the Director of Enforcement Removal Proceedings for ICE’s New York Office quotes: “Citizens of New York City and the surrounding areas are safer every time another criminal is removed from the street.” “Our nation has a proud history of immigration,” however, he went on to state: “No one should be allowed to pick and choose which laws they decide to follow.”
The individuals arrested were from a variety of countries including Mexico, Guinea, Guyana and Jamaica. Carlos Gerardo Izzo a spokesman for the Mexican consulate stated: “These were specific operations to pick up each one of them and not randomly take someone off the street because there was a Mexican place where there were a lot of people.” Mexican family members have been warned by consulate officials that they should not fear being arrested while on the street. The individuals arrested in the New York Metropolitan area were part of the approximate 700 people who were detained on a nationwide basis.
