Taken into custody: ICE makes 49 arrests in the Milwaukee area during month-long operation

CHICAGO (WITI) — Nearly 300 criminal aliens, fugitives and other immigration violators were arrested in six Midwestern states during a month-long operation conducted by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Operation Cross Check, which began May 18 and concluded Saturday, is the latest effort by ICE to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators.

Arrests were made in the following six states: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas and Missouri.

The 287 men and 10 women arrested are from 29 countries.

Of the 297 individuals arrested, 233 were criminal aliens whose convictions include: domestic abuse, arson, aggravated assault, battery, burglary, solicitation of a child enticement, weapons possession, aggravated battery of a child, sexual assault of a minor and aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Those arrested include 56 immigration fugitives who have outstanding deportation orders and 81 previously deported aliens, five of which face federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation.

ICE officers made 49 arrests in the Milwaukee area during the operation.

The majority of those arrested, or 44, were convicted criminals.

Seven of the 49 males were immigration fugitives and eight were previously deported from the United States.

Those arrested are from the following countries: Mexico (41), Laos (3), Nicaragua (2) and one each from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Romania.

Following are three case examples of individuals arrested in the Milwaukee area during the operation (in accordance with Department of Homeland Security privacy policies, names are not included):

ICE received local assistance from the following agencies: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Milwaukee Police Department.

"The arrest and removal of criminal aliens has an immediate and tangible impact on our communities," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. "By focusing our resources on the most egregious offenders, we ensure the very best use of our resources while immediately improving public safety in our neighborhoods."

In fiscal year 2013, ICE conducted 368,644 removals nationwide. Eighty-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.

ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.