ICE Arrests Nearly 500 Criminals in ‘Operation Safe City’ Targeting Sanctuary Cities

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement arrested nearly 500 individuals in sanctuary cities across the country. With Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations teams, 498 criminal illegals from 42 countries were arrested and charged with federal immigration violations during a four-day operation that ended Wednesday.

Operation ‘Safe City’ focused on sanctuary cities, which are cities and regions where ICE deportation officers are denied access to jails and prisons to interview suspected immigration violators or jurisdictions where ICE detainers are not honored.

“Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration,” said ICE Acting Director Tom Homan. “As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities.”

Operation Safe City arrests took place in Baltimore (28), Cook County, Illinois (30), Denver (63), Los Angeles (101), New York (45), Philadelphia (107), Portland, Ore. (33), Santa Clara County, Calif (27); and Washington, D.C. (14) and the state of Massachusetts (50).

Contrary to some reports, those under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) were not targeted by Operation Safe City.

“ICE’s goal is to build cooperative, respectful relationships with our law enforcement partners to help prevent dangerous criminal aliens from being released back onto the streets,” Acting Director Homan said. “Non-cooperation policies severely undermine that effort at the expense of public safety.”

Of the 498 individuals taken into custody during this operation for immigration violations:

• 317 had criminal convictions, as noted in the chart below;
• 68 are immigration fugitives;
• 104 are previously deported criminal aliens; and
• 18 are gang members or affiliates.