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ICE clarifies recent sweep |
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007 |
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By Mike Gervais
Register Staff 9-4-2007
Clarified information regarding the immigration raids conducted in and around Bishop earlier this month has been presented by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and is somewhat at odds with earlier reports from local law enforcement.
And despite much upheaval and outrage within the community, the immigration sweep earlier this month that netted 12 wanted illegal immigrants in Inyo County was business as usual for ICE agents.
Eleven of the 12 individuals apprehended were on a ICE “wanted list,” having previously been identified as illegal immigrants after being convicted of a crime and ordered to deport. “That’s why we call them fugitives,” said ICE Public Information Officer Virginia Kice.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 15 an ICE fugitive operations team came to Inyo County with a list of of 14 alleged offenders.
The effects of the raid were felt throughout the day as several local business closed due to a lack of workers.
“These were targeted enforcement actions, prioritized cases,” said Kice. “These are not random arrests, we have specific individuals who had final deportation orders that they ignored,” she added.
In other words, ICE agents and local law enforcement were not randomly showing up at businesses and asking for employees’ residency papers, or arresting anyone unable to produce proof of legal residency. The 12 arrests resulting from the Aug. 15 sweep were a direct result of individuals having ignored prior orders to leave the U.S., regardless of their race.
“All those arrested in your area were Mexican nationals, but that is just a coincidence,” Kice said. ICE investigates cases of anyone in the U.S. who had received final deportation orders but had not left the country.
And despite whatever standing in the community those 12 individuals may have had on Aug. 15, they were still breaking the law, officials said.
After the individuals were deported, a standing warrant for their arrest was issued in the U.S., so, should they return to America and be scrutinized by any U.S. law enforcement officer, they will be found in violation of their deportation order and deported again.
ICE arrived in Bishop looking for four “priority” individuals. The Inyo Register mistakenly reported in its previous article, “Immigration Sweep in Bishop nets 13,” Aug. 16, 2007, that there were two priority cases ICE agents were pursuing in and around Bishop. The Register was also given and reported misinformation that 13 fugitives were arrested, not 12.
Jose Gonzalez-Cervantes, 38, had previously been convicted of sexual assault of a minor. Upon that conviction, he was ordered to leave the U.S. When he failed to do so, ICE Agents located, apprehended and deported him.
Leticia Talamantes, 28, was convicted in Inyo County of embezzlement and Maria De Jiminez-Mora, 37 was convicted of embezzlement and fraud. Both were located, apprehended and deported during the Tuesday, Aug. 15 raids.
The fourth “priority” case ICE pursued during it’s sweep of Inyo County was Jose Duenas, 30, who was convicted of burglary in Independence. Duenas did not serve any time in relation to this conviction, but was ordered to deport back to his native Mexico. When he failed to do so, ICE agents arrested and deported him.
Whether or not illegal aliens serve jail or prison time “depends on the nature of the crime and the local courts,” said Kice, noting that she was unaware of any punishments the other individuals may or may not have received.
Of the 12 arrests earlier this month, only one individual is still in the U.S. All others have been deported to their native Mexico.
“The one who has not been deported is going through the process,” Kice said, noting that that individual had not received his final deportation order prior to being apprehended.
ICE has four fugitive operation teams operating in northern California. The Fresno team handles operations in Inyo County. Those teams work specifically to apprehend individuals who had been ordered by state or federal courts, for one reason or another, to leave the U.S. but had refused to do so.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 September 2007 )
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