ICE arrests 33 in Portland during operation targeting sanctuary cities

Article author: 
Samantha Matsumoto
Article publisher: 
OregonLive.com
Article date: 
Friday, September 29, 2017
Article category: 
Crime
Medium
Article Body: 

Federal immigration agents arrested 33 people in Portland during a four-day operation targeting sanctuary cities across the nation this week, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials said in a statement Thursday.

Nearly 500 people were arrested for federal immigration violations during the operation...

Agents focused their attention on cities and regions where local law enforcement don't honor immigration detainers...

The operation targeted people with prior criminal convictions, pending criminal charges and gang ties and those who re-entered the country after they were deported...

ICE acting director Tom Homan said in a statement that agents targeted sanctuary cities because "non-cooperation policies" undermine public safety.

"Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration," he said. "As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities."

Multnomah County's policies against sharing information with immigration authorities were criticized in July after a man who had been deported 12 times allegedly attacked two women....

Here's a breakdown of people arrested in each region:

-Baltimore: 28

- Cook County, Illinois: 30

- Denver: 63

- Los Angeles: 101

- New York: 45

- Philadelphia: 107

- Portland: 33

- Santa Clara County, California: 27

- Washington, D.C.: 14

- Massachusetts: 50

Some of the people arrested will be federally prosecuted for alleged illegal entry and re-entry after removal, ICE officials said. Others will administratively processed for deportation.