ICE Arrests Thousands in 7-Day Sweep

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents recently fanned out across the country in a week-long sweep known as Cross Check.

They arrested 2,901 convicted criminals who are not U.S. citizens and were not legally in the country.

Arrests were made in all 50 states as well as four U.S. territories and involved a collaboration of more than 1,900 ICE officers and federal, state and local law enforcement agents.

"The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation's immigration system," ICE Director John Morton said. "Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers and agents in tracking down at-large criminal aliens and fugitives, there are 2,901 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods across the country."

At least 1,282 of the arrested individuals had multiple criminal convictions. More than 1,600 of those arrested had felony convictions including manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors and aggravated assault. Of the total 2,901 people arrested, 42 were gang members and 151 were convicted sex offenders.

In addition to being convicted criminals, 681 of those arrested were also immigration fugitives who had previously been ordered to leave the country but failed to depart, ICE officials said. Additionally, 386 were illegal re-entrants who had been previously removed from the country multiple times. Because of their serious criminal histories and prior immigration arrest records, at least 146 of those arrested during the enforcement action were presented to U.S attorneys for prosecution on a variety of charges including illegal re-entry after deportation, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

This is the second Cross Check sweep this year and the largest. The first nationwide Cross Check operation in May resulted in the arrest of 2,442 convicted criminals.