In one 12-day period this month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers apprehended 275 convicted illegal alien sex offenders across the U.S.
From February 5-16, ERO arrested about two dozen illegal alien convicted sex offenders a day during a nationwide sweep, ICE reports. The operation follows a similar effort in January, in which ERO officers apprehended 171 illegal aliens with pending charges or convictions for murder, homicide or assault against children, in addition to sexual offenses.
ERO apprehensions over the two-month period include a range of sexual offenses, such as:
- A 26-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Houston, Texas, convicted of felony aggravated sexual assault with a firearm.
- A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico in the Bronx, New York, convicted of felony attempted sexual abuse 1st degree: person incapable of consent/physically helpless.
- A 71-year-old citizen of Mexico in Pittsburg, California, convicted of felony continuous sexual abuse of a child.
- A 58-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Gaithersburg, Maryland, convicted of felony sodomy first degree and felony sex abuse first degree.
- A 25-year-old citizen of Mexico in Denver, Colorado, convicted of felony child prostitution – soliciting.
- A 34-year-old citizen of Guatemala in Gloucester who was recently convicted locally of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 – who had been released by the Gloucester District Court, despite ERO Boston having filed an immigration detainer against him.
Unsurprisingly, ERO apprehension counts in the February sweep were high in self-proclaimed illegal immigrant “sanctuary” cities in the border state of California. The San Francisco ERO office reported 41 arrests of illegal alien sex offenders, while the Los Angeles ERO announced 36 apprehensions from the operation.
Not all apprehensions were in southwest border states, however. Many were made in sanctuary cities in other parts of the U.S. For example, Colorado’s ERO made 25 arrests, including 19 in Denver. And, in the far northwest, the Seattle ERO nabbed 12 illegal alien sex offenders during February’s 12-day operation.
Nationally, in fiscal year (FY) 2023, ERO arrested 4,390 illegal aliens with sex and sexual assault charges or convictions – an average of 12 per day.