By: Savannah Smith | 02-15-2017 | News
Photo credit: Flickr / Keith Allison

Majority of the 680 Arrested Immigrants in the U.S. had Criminal Backgrounds

During the weekend, almost 700 immigrants were rounded up and detained in various cities across the U.S. including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and San Antonio. According to the Department of Homeland Security, almost all of the illegal aliens detained had criminal records.

The raids, which were carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was planned even before President Donald Trump stepped into office. As noted by Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the latest raid was part of the ICE’s regular operations in capturing criminal aliens.

The official noted that out of the 680 individuals who were arrested during the weekend, about 75 percent committed crimes such as DUI, drug trafficking, homicide and sexual assault. According to the DHS, the raids targeted immigrants who were considered as threats to the safety of the public, according to Town hall.

The number of arrests made during the weekend came as a huge surprise since it reflects the portion of illegal immigrants with criminal records currently residing in the country. It also shows the lack of initiative from the previous administration to enforce stricter immigration laws to ensure the security of the public.

Aside from including hard crimes, the definition of the term criminal alien was also expanded recently through an executive order signed by Trump last month. Through the order, entering the country without legal authorization, which was previously regarded as a misdemeanor, is now regarded as a criminal offense.

Hopefully, under Trump’s administration, the DHS and ICE will continue to carry out effective raids to significantly trim down the number of dangerous immigrants with criminal backgrounds in the U.S. Combined with the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, these efforts will be able to ensure that criminal aliens will not be able to return to the country after getting deported.

Share this article
Thoughts on the above story? Comment below!
0 comment/s
What do you think about this article?
Name
Comment *
Image

Recent News

Popular Stories