Five Jamaicans are among seven Caribbean nationals detained in New York during a six-day operation conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),
aimed at removing persons deemed to have breached immigration laws, from the United States.
The operation saw a total of 55 immigrants being detained, according to CMC News. It was carried out by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
ICE said that ERO officers “targeted at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives during the operation,” which ended on November 20.
Among those detained were five Jamaicans and a Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana national.
Other detainees were from Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Yemen, Bangladesh, France, Jordan, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Yemen, Serbia and Egypt.
ICE singled out Jamaican Cedric Marston, 41, who it said had previously been removed from the country, and who was arrested by ERO deportation officers in Jamaica, New York, for immigration violations.
ICE said Marston was removed to Jamaica by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on March 26, 1999, following a California felony conviction for possession of concentrated cannabis, for which he was sentenced to three years of probation.
On May 2, 2017, ICE said Marston was arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on local charges. On that same date, ERO deportation officers lodged an immigration detainer with the NYPD’s Queens Central Booking.
However, ICE said Marston was released from NYPD custody, without the detainer being honoured and without notification to ICE.
It said also that 35-year-old Guyanese national, Dane John, was arrested by the NYPD on June 9 this year on local charges. On that same date, ICE said ERO deportation officers lodged an immigration detainer with the NYPD’s Brooklyn Central Booking.
But a day later, John was released from NYPD custody without the detainer being honoured and without notification to ICE.
On October 16, ICE said the NYPD arrested John again on local charges. It said John has an extensive criminal history, with prior convictions for kidnapping in the 2nd degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the 2nd degree (loaded firearm), and assault in the 2nd degree (intent to cause physical injury with a weapon), for which he served seven years in prison.
ICE said some of the individuals arrested during the enforcement action will be presented for US federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Those not being criminally prosecuted will be processed for removal from the country, ICE said, adding that individuals 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.
