ICE Arrests 163 Foreign Nationals, Many Of Them Criminals, In DC Suburbs

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, a division of the Homeland Security Department, says a three-day sweep in the Washington, D.C., suburbs resulted in the arrest of 163 foreign nationals, many of whom were convicted criminal aliens.

Those arrested come from more than 32 different nations, including countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and Africa, ICE announced on Tuesday.

The crackdown – officially known as an “enforcement and removal operation” -- included criminals who were in the country both legally and illegally.

Of those arrested, 130 were criminal aliens, eight were fugitives, three had already been deported and re-entered illegally and 22 were non-criminals who had been summoned to appear in immigration court.  The 130 criminal aliens had prior convictions for a number of offenses, including rape, assault, burglary, and narcotics possession. The majority – 134 of the 163 people arrested -- were men.

Due to their “serious” criminal records and prior contact with immigration enforcement officials, some of the individuals detained in the recent sweep will face additional federal prosecution for “re-entering the country illegally after a formal deportation,” ICE said.

The foreign nationals who do not face additional criminal charges will be “processed administratively” for removal from the United States. Some will appear in immigration court. 

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