The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has said on Wednesday that a Jamaican, two Haitians and a Guyanese are among 18 unlawfully present non-citizens convicted of sex offences, who were recently apprehended during a nationwide enforcement effort.
ICE has said the action by deportation officers with its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York Field Office resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some who had already been ordered removed from the US but had failed to leave.
The Jamaican, two Haitians and lone Guyanese were among those arrested in the sweep conducted between October 22 and November 4. ICE has said the 29-year-old Jamaican national was apprehended in Boston, Massachusetts. He was living in Waterbury, Connecticut, and was convicted of two counts of fourth-degree felony sexual assault.
One of the Haitians, a 44-year-old man living in Queens Village, Queens, New York, was convicted of felony rape in the second degree, promoting prostitution in the second degree and promoting prostitution in the third degree. The other Haitian, a 43-year-old male residing in Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York, was convicted of a felony in regard to a sexual performance by a child.
And the 48-year-old citizen of Guyana, who was living in Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of felony sexual abuse in the first degree: sexual contact with an individual less than 11 years old.
The others who were arrested were nationals of Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Uruguay, El Salvador and Canada.
ERO New York Field Office Acting Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo has said: “The emotional damage inflicted by sexual perpetrators on their victims can last a lifetime. The work of our officers on this operation has prevented future potential victims from such harm.
“This invaluable contribution to community safety should be specially valued at this time of year, when families all over gather to celebrate together,” he added. (CMC)
