ERO Newark arrests multiple sex offenders during national operation
NEWARK — Deportation officers with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark field office apprehended three unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide enforcement action from Oct. 22 through Nov. 4. ERO’s law enforcement action resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some people who were previously ordered removed from the U.S. but failed to depart.
This enforcement operation was implemented to address unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office.
“Removing noncitizen sexual perpetrators from the U.S. is an essential part of the community safety ERO provides,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director of the ERO Newark field office. “The brave women and men who carried out these arrests are to be commended for their efforts on behalf of innocent victims and their families.”
Those arrested in the Newark field office area of responsibility are as follows:
- In Irvington, a 50-year-old citizen of Liberia convicted of criminal sexual contact, a felony.
- In Toms River, a 38-year-old citizen of Mexico convicted of promoting prostitution: accepting, soliciting or procuring for patron.
- In Hackensack, a 26-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic convicted of a felony for knowingly possessing, controlling and viewing over 1,000 items depicting a child sex act.
ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review, or EOIR. EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
In fiscal year 2021, ERO arrested 12,025 individuals with aggravated felony convictions. Offenses associated with noncitizens arrested in FY 2021 included 1,506 homicide related offenses, 3,415 sexual assaults, 19,549 assaults, 2,717 robberies and 1,063 kidnappings.
ICE’s ERO directorate upholds U.S. immigration law at, within and beyond our borders. ERO operations target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, as well as individuals who have otherwise violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally reentered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting foreign fugitives or in apprehending people through fugitive arrest and removal cases who are wanted for crimes committed abroad and who are now at-large in the United States. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, detention, bond management, supervised release, transportation and removal. In addition, ERO repatriates noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 170 countries around the world.
Members of the public can report crimes and/or suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on Twitter at @ERONewark.
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