ERO Philadelphia arrests 29 criminal noncitizens in a weeklong surge operation

PHILADELPHIA — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia completed Operation Cross Check on May 15, a ten-day surge operation that resulted in 29 noncitizens with criminal convictions in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware being detained.

“The success of this operation is attributable to the skill and dedication of our deportation officers,” said ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Cammilla Wamsley. “Every day our deportation officers, without regard to their personal safety, apprehend noncitizens who have proven that they pose a threat to the American public. I am extremely proud of everything ERO Philadelphia accomplished.”

Operation Cross Check focused on noncitizens who pose a danger to the American people and exhibit a disregard for U.S. laws.

Those arrested include the following:

• 66-year-old citizen of Haiti convicted of felony rape in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
• 54-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic convicted of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
• 68-year-old citizen of Nicaragua convicted of felony aggravated assault in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Out of the 29 noncitizens arrested, five individuals were convicted of assault and other related offenses; one for rape; eight for theft and other related offenses; five for controlled substance violations; nine for driving under the influence and one for an accident involving death or injury.

Regardless of nationality, ICE makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with U.S. law and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, considering the individual merits and factors of each case. ICE officers make associated decisions and apply prosecutorial discretion in a responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) three operational directorates, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws. Its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

For more updates on noncitizens being removed from the community in the interest of public safety, follow @EROPhiladelphia.