Hundreds of undocumented immigrants were arrested in a federal sweep operation in the Midwest that lasted a month and targeted those who ignored deportation orders.
The arrest of 331 undocumented migrants was reported by Fox News. The operation started on May 9 and was carried out in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
The sweep targeted two groups of migrants, namely:
1 – Migrants who had criminal convictions but reentered the country after being deported
2 – Migrants who had ignored deportation orders.
Many of those arrested were in the Chicago area. Media reports stated about 107 people were picked up in Chicago and 25 in the Indianapolis area.
Those who were arrested were accused of crimes ranging from domestic violence to fraud, robbery, drug offenses and weapons offenses.
Immigration officials described the operation as being consistent with the Homeland Security Department’s top priorities, which include finding, apprehending, detaining and deporting people who are deemed to be a threat to the safety of communities or are national security threats.
Earlier this year, immigration investigators picked up 121 undocumented immigrants in a series of raids in the southern states including Texas, reported the Washington Post.
The families were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. They were living in Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia and were held at detention centers before being deported to Central America.
ICE declined to say how many of these migrants were children. Most of them were among 100,000 plus families of both adults and children who traveled north to the United States from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador since 2015.
The crackdown on illegal immigration began in the summer of 2014 and has led to about 14 flights a week taking people who have been apprehended back to Central America.
When immigrants are charged with crimes, they can often be at a disadvantage because of their unfamiliarity with the legal system and the language barrier. Our Austin family immigration lawyers have represented numerous migrants who have been charged with crimes and have achieved many success stories.
If you are facing deportation in Texas, you may have a valid case for cancellation of removal. Our attorneys can talk you through the process and help you out.
Please contact us today for a consultation by calling (512) 399-2311 or visit the contact us page on our website.