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Immigration Teams Nearly Double Fugitive Arrests

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 6, 2007

TAMPA - Teams assigned to eliminate the nation's backlog of immigration fugitives have arrested nearly twice as many people this fiscal year as the previous year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said Tuesday.

Fugitive operations teams for ICE arrested more than 30,000 people nationwide in the 2007 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

They arrested more than 15,000 in the 2006 fiscal year.

ICE created the Fugitive Operations Program in 2003. The goal was to identify and remove people ignoring an immigration judge's deportation order as well as other illegal immigrants with criminal records. Cases involving people who pose a threat to national security and community safety are the priority.

ICE's Miami field office, which includes all of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reported a record number of arrests as part of the program. The department is unable to break down the numbers to determine how many people were arrested as a result of its Tampa team, Gonzalez said.

Tampa arrests this year include that of Marlene Sophia Blake, a Jamaican national convicted of child abuse, an ICE statement said.

Ranking second nationally in arrest totals, the Miami office reported 2,579 arrests in the 2007 fiscal year. It had 1,456 the year before.

"These statistics should put those in violation of law on notice," Michael Rozos, Miami field office director for detention and removal, said in a statement. "Those who blatantly violate our laws will be located, arrested and deported. The rule of law must be respected."

Part of the national success this fiscal year came from an increase in the number of fugitive operations teams nationwide.

There were 75 teams by year's end, up from 52 at the end of the 2006 fiscal year. Five teams are located within the Miami office.

ICE plans to add six teams nationally this fiscal year.

The department's fugitive case backlog now includes about 595,000 people.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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