Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement teams arrested 19 near Bloomington, Minn. after a three-day initiative. Those arrested were a combination of illegal aliens and illegals that absconded after being ordered to leave the country.
ICE arrested 384 fugitive aliens and immigration violators in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware during an enforcement operation that ran from October 14-26. Criminal histories of the arrestees included convictions for sexual assault, assault, burglary, robbery, bail jumping, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, DUI, DWI, resisting arrest, and trademark counterfeiting.
At a news conference held last week to detail his agency’s recent achievements, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff discussed how the economy, along with increased enforcement, are reducing the number of inbound illegal aliens and increasing departures home. He cited certain “metrics,” such as fewer illegal-alien apprehensions at the borders, and pointed to illegal-alien population studies as evidence of a reversing migratory trend.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has increased the maximum period of time that a Trade-NAFTA professional worker from Canada or Mexico may remain in the United States. The rule change increases the period of stay from one year to three years, equaling the initial period of time granted to H-1B workers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is sharing part of its $1 million award with the Naugatuck Police Department. In April 2007, Jose and Diana Calhelha were sentenced after being convicted for their roles in harboring illegal aliens at their 10 Dunkin Donuts' franchises. The Naugatuck Police Department assisted the ICE with the case.
The Supreme Court accepted a case on Monday that could have a large impact on the government's enforcement of illegal aliens. The case will review whether or not prosecutors have to prove that defendants knowingly victimized real persons in identity theft cases.
With an increase in deportations of more than 50 percent over the last two years, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement team is ramping up its airline service. The ICE deported more than 76,000 illegal aliens during the fiscal year that ended September 30 on 10 aircraft - twice the fleet from a year ago.
According to a report in the Washington Post, the Bush administration plans to remove visa requirements for citizens of seven allied countries. Requirements could be lifted for citizens from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Korea as early as next month.
One week has passed since ICE raided a Columbia Farms poultry plant in Greenville, S.C. and arrested 331 illegal aliens, but the agency’s investigations into illicit activity continue unabated. The focus of the ten-month investigation is now on finding out who allowed illegal aliens to be hired at the plant.