DOJ to target birth tourism schemes in the US, Trump says
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have unveiled the arrest of eight supposed members of the notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. These individuals face charges related to a string of kidnappings and murders that took place in both Texas and Illinois. Amidst this development, Jonathan Fahey, the former acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), scrutinizes current open border policies, highlights the Biden administration’s involvement, and explores innovative tactics to address the issue of birth tourism. Adding a political dimension, former President Donald Trump advocates for reforms in birthright citizenship laws, while Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sounds the alarm on the potential expenses linked to the termination of Temporary Protected Status.
In a landmark single-day operation, ICE’s Harlingen, Texas field office, alongside various law enforcement collaborators, announced the apprehension of 238 undocumented immigrants on Tuesday. This operation set a new record for targeted arrests within the Rio Grande Valley, according to agency sources.
The agency emphasized that this achievement represents the highest number of targeted arrests in a one-day effort for the Enforcement and Removal Operations in Harlingen.
On June 18, these arrests captured undocumented individuals with a range of serious convictions, including attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and drug possession, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in curbing illegal activities along the border.
The June 18 operation resulted in the arrests of illegal immigrants with convictions including attempted kidnapping, sexual battery and drug possession, according to the agency.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 238 illegal immigrants during a one-day enforcement operation in South Texas, the agency said. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The ICE mission continues to focus on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to our nation’s immigration system,” ICE Harlingen Field Office Director Juan Agudelo said in a statement.
“We will stop at nothing to keep our American communities safe by removing one criminal illegal alien at a time,” he added.
The arrests come as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration and seeks to remove criminal illegal immigrants from communities across the country.
Manuel Morales-Geronimo, whom ICE identified as a Paisas gang member, was among 238 illegal immigrants arrested during a one-day enforcement operation in South Texas, according to the agency. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Among those arrested was Manuel Morales-Geronimo, a Mexican national whom authorities identified as a Paisas gang member.
Morales-Geronimo was previously convicted of assault causing bodily injury, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, driving while intoxicated, illegal entry into the United States and three counts of illegal reentry, according to ICE.
Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza, also a Mexican national, was arrested during the operation. According to ICE, he was previously convicted of attempted kidnapping, sexual battery and illegal reentry.
Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza was arrested during a one-day ICE enforcement operation in South Texas after previously being convicted of attempted kidnapping, sexual battery and illegal reentry, according to the agency. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
The announcement came the same day President Donald Trump pushed back on a reported DHS move to pause most ICE traffic stops, calling them “one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools.”
The reported pause followed scrutiny over recent fatal encounters involving immigration enforcement traffic stops.
In a social media post, Trump wrote, “We CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!”
The president added that the DHS policy shift would be “playing right into the criminal’s [sic] hands.”