31 arrests in Green Bay ICE operation targeting criminals, immigration fugitives

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ongoing efforts to focus agency resources on the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 31 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and other immigration violators were arrested during an operation carried out over the weekend in the Green Bay area.

The three-day operation, which concluded Sunday, was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) as part of the agency's commitment to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators.

Of the individuals taken into custody, all 31 were criminal aliens whose convictions include: theft, domestic abuse, battery, burglary, child enticement, drugs, identity theft, hit-and-run involving injury, 4th degree sexual assault, and illegal re-entry after deportation. The group also included two immigration fugitives who had outstanding orders of deportation and eight previously deported aliens.

Those arrested during the operation include:

• A twice deported 31-year-old Mexican national with convictions for drug possession, reckless driving, identity theft and illegal re-entry after deportation. He was arrested March 14 in Green Bay and is pending prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office for felony re-entry.
• A 19-year-old Russian national with four theft convictions. He was arrested March 16 in Green Bay and remains in ICE custody pending a hearing before an immigration judge.
• A previously deported 31-year-old Mexican national with a conviction for marijuana possession. He was arrested March 14 in Green Bay and turned over to the Brown County Sheriff's Office on outstanding warrants for possessing cocaine with intent to sell and driving with a revoked license. He will be turned over to ICE for deportation after the local charges are resolved.

"ERO strives to make our communities safer by arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens," said Ricardo Wong, field officer director for ERO Chicago. "By focusing our resources on the most egregious offenders, we immediately improve public safety in the Green Bay area."

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 30 men and 1 woman arrested: Mexico (27), Honduras (2), El Salvador (1), and Russia (1). Arrests were made in the following Wisconsin communities: Green Bay, Greenleaf, Manitowoc, Seymour, Grand Chute, Appleton, and Menasha.

ERO Chicago received significant assistance in the operation from the following agencies: Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Brown County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department, Green Bay (Wis.) Police Department Gang Task Force, and Ashwaubenon (Wis.) Police Department.

In fiscal year 2013, ICE conducted 368,644 removals nationwide. Eighty-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.