18 men and one woman were taken into custody during last week’s operation in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
According to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) news release,
All of the targets in this operation met the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) two top immigration enforcement priorities as established in DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson’s 2014 memorandum. Priority 1 targets include threats to national security, criminal street gang members, convicted felons, and aggravated felons. Priority 2 targets include convictions for three or more misdemeanors or convictions for significant misdemeanors, including DUIs.
10 of the 19 were taken into custody in Skagit County, 9 in Whatcom County and 2 in Ferndale during the operation last week.
Click for more information
Click for more informationAccording to the news release,
One of those taken into custody is a previously deported criminal alien who will now be presented for federal prosecution for re-entry after removal, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The remaining arrestees will be processed administratively for removal from the United States. Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country. The remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.