ICE arrests Guatemalan national after New Jersey County declines detainer
NEWARK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrested a Guatemalan citizen after he was released from the custody of Camden County. The county declined to honor a detainer ICE previously filed in the matter.
On Feb. 7, 2017, ICE filed an immigration detainer with the Camden County Jail on Jose Chamale-Campos, a Guatemalan citizen. On Feb. 10, 2017, Camden County Jail released him from custody. Chamale-Campos does not have lawful status in the United States, and is currently facing several local criminal charges.
On Feb. 15, 2017, ERO Newark officers arrested Chamale-Campos in Magnolia, New Jersey. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
“As a nation, we must protect the integrity of our immigration system and the removal of illegal aliens, especially those with a criminal history-this is one of ICE's top priorities,” said John Tsoukaris, ERO Newark Field Office Director. “ICE shares the county's ultimate objective to protect public safety and national security while simultaneously preserving the critical community-police bond. As such, county jails that fail to work with ICE put their communities at risk.”
In fiscal year 2016, ICE removed or returned 240,255 individuals. Of this total, 174,923 were apprehended while, or shortly after, attempting to illegally enter the United States. The remaining 65,332 were apprehended in the interior of the United States, and the vast majority was convicted criminals.
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