U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday they’ve arrested 120 illegal aliens who had previously entered the United States as unaccompanied alien children (commonly referred to as UACs) in a four-day sting operation targeting removable aliens.
Often hailed by the left as innocent asylum seekers, many of these "kids" turned out to be dangerous offenders with criminal convictions and gang affiliations who'd been allowed into the United States on the basis of their age and asylum claims.
ICE officials said in a statement Tuesday that “The UACs targeted for arrest during this operation had either reached the age of 18 or were at least 16 and had criminal histories and/or suspected gang ties.”
The 120 UACs picked up by immigration enforcement made up nearly a quarter of the roughly 650 illegal aliens ICE arrested during Operation Border Guardian/Border Resolve, a nationwide immigration initiative conducted between July 23-26, which focused on apprehending aliens who’d entered the country as unaccompanied children and families, as well as those with criminal records. Another 73 arrestees had come across the border illegally in a family unit.
All of those apprehended had been issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge, ICE officials said.
Contrary to what amnesty proponents would have you believe, many of those arrested were far from upstanding wanna-be citizens.
“One-hundred and thirty of the 650 had criminal convictions in addition to being in the country illegally, for crimes including but not limited to DUI, assault and battery, drug possession, domestic abuse and sexual assault,” ICE reported.
Those without criminal convictions on their record had been deemed inadmissible by immigration courts.
In a stark turn from the largely pro-illegal immigration rhetoric of the previous White House occupant, Trump administration officials have openly warned that entering the country illegally as an unaccompanied child or family only to claim asylum doesn’t guarantee that a person’s request will be granted, and could easily result in deportation.
“Illegally entering the United States as a family unit or UAC does not protect individuals from being subject to the immigration laws of this country,” said ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan in a statement. “I urge anyone considering making the dangerous and unlawful journey to the United States: Please do not take this risk. Ultimately, if you have no basis to remain in the United States, you will be identified, apprehended and returned to your home country.”