U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations (ERO) agents arrest an illegal alien sex offender in Long Island, New York as part of Operation SOAR. (Photo: Courtesy of ICE)
NEW YORK, New York — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 32 convicted sexual predators over the course of 10 days. The arrests, 12 of which were registered sexual offenders, ended on Aug. 3 in Long Island as part of an effort dubbed Operation SOAR, or Sex Offender Alien Removal.
“ICE’s continuing commitment to making our communities safer is underscored by operations like this one targeting sexual offenders,” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for New York. “These actions focus our resources on the most egregious criminals and promote public safety in the communities in which we live and work.”
Off the record, ICE officials say they’re hands have been untied under the Trump Administration. President Donald Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration beginning with the most heinous criminals.
Those arrested, ranging from ages 21 to 55, were nationals from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago. Of the crimes alleged, several are pending and the criminal histories are extremely egregious.
They are as follows:
acting in a manner to injure a child, assault, third degree attempted rape, burglary, attempted sexual abuse, criminal sex act, endangering the welfare of a child, endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person, forcible touching, promoting a sexual performance by a child, public lewdness, first degree rape, second degree rape, third degree rape, reckless endangerment, first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual abuse, sexual abuse, forcible compulsion, sexual contact with an individual incapable of consent and sexual misconduct.
“ERO officers are out there every day enforcing immigration law with targeted enforcement actions,” Mr. Decker added. “ICE will not waver in its promise to arrest and remove criminal aliens from our neighborhoods.”
Mr. Decker said those arrested who are foreign nationals will be processed for removal from the United States. Those who have already have deportation orders, or who returned to the U.S. illegally after previously being deported, will be removed from the country immediately.
The remaining arrestees are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.
