More than 1,200 undocumented immigrants were arrested throughout Georgia over the past few weeks as part of what the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are calling an “enhanced immigration enforcement operation.”
The operation, called “Operation Safe Community — Atlanta” was intended to “net” undocumented immigrants who have criminal histories. Charges ranged in severity from drug crimes and DUIs to aggravated assault and crimes against children, according to the agency. Only half of those arrested, however, had any criminal history.
“Our officers did what they do best: they arrested and removed dangerous criminal offenders from American communities,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said in an Aug. 7 statement. “Removing these criminal alien offenders from Georgia neighborhoods makes for much safer communities, and that is exactly what the men and women of ICE work to accomplish every day across our great nation.”
Only half of ICE arrestees had criminal histories
A total of 1,226 undocumented immigrants were arrested as part of the operation in Georgia, ICE said. Of those, 720 individuals had been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States…