ICE Fugitive Enforcement Operations
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) conducts targeted fugitive operations on a regular basis, both nationwide and locally in 24 field offices across the U.S. These enforcement operations, which are often referred to as Operation Cross Check, target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens and gang members, and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including those who re-entered the country after being deported and immigration fugitives ordered deported by federal immigration judges.
Targeted enforcement operations are an integral part of ERO’s civil immigration enforcement strategy and serve to enhance the daily work conducted by ICE deportation officers to
January 2017 – Fugitive enforcement operation in Milwaukee resulting in the arrest of 16 convicted criminal aliens;
February 2017 – Fugitive enforcement operations began Monday, Feb. 6 in the Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, New York and San Antonio areas of responsibility, which resulted in more than 680 arrests of convicted criminal aliens and other immigration enforcement priorities;
Key Facts:
• In national operations, the National Fugitive Operations Program and ERO’s National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center work closely with the field to develop and vet lists of potential targets and closely monitor progress through statistical reporting. During local fugitive operations, individual field offices generate their own target lists and manage reporting requirements.
• Some of the individuals arrested during enforcement operations may face criminal prosecution by U.S. Attorney Offices for illegal entry or illegal re-entry after deportation.
• Those not being criminally prosecuted will be processed for removal from the United States. Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to removal from the country.
• Reports of ICE checkpoints and sweeps are false, dangerous and irresponsible. These reports create panic and put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger. Any groups falsely reporting such activities are doing a disservice to those they claim to support.
• During targeted enforcement operations ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE.
