“ICE arrests 133 individuals in New York, including Chinese nationals”

In a recent enforcement operation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal law enforcement partners in western, central, and northern New York from March 24th to 28th, a total of 133 illegal foreign nationals were arrested. Among them, a 50-year-old man from China was convicted of assault and was one of the multiple individuals arrested with prior criminal histories.

The operation, led by ICE’s Buffalo field office, aimed to remove dangerous foreign individuals operating within communities to enhance national and community security. The majority of the arrested individuals resided in areas such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, with 9 individuals having reentered the U.S. illegally after prior deportation.

“This multi-agency collaborative operation led by ICE, along with intelligence-driven actions, is effectively fulfilling the mission of safeguarding national security,” said Philip Rhoney, Acting Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Buffalo.

Special Agent Erin Keegan of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo office emphasized the importance of this operation in showcasing the significance of a “whole-of-government joint effort” in removing dangerous illegal foreign individuals. She stressed that ICE HSI will utilize all available tools to ensure the safety of residents in New York.

According to ICE’s disclosure, 20 of the arrested individuals had criminal histories or charges, including three convicted murderers. Additionally, the operation executed four criminal search warrants at workplaces involving federal immigration violations and conducted 18 administrative arrests for immigration law violations.

The arrested foreign nationals come from various countries, with cases including a 50-year-old illegal foreign male from China convicted of assault, a 49-year-old man from Trinidad and Tobago convicted of murder, a 66-year-old man from the Dominican Republic convicted of child sexual offenses, a 32-year-old man from El Salvador involved in murder and gang violence, a 42-year-old man from Mexico involved in drug trafficking, and a 43-year-old H-2A visa holder from South Africa accused of distributing and possessing child pornography.

This operation involved collaboration among various federal agencies, including the FBI, CBP, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and federal prosecutor’s offices.

Furthermore, ICE arrested Xiaobing Chen, a Chinese citizen, on April 3rd for credit card fraud and forgery offenses, facing deportation. Another individual, Hoang Nguyen from Vietnam, was arrested on March 25th for convictions including lewd behavior, forgery, hit-and-run, and multiple DUIs, also set for deportation by ICE.