ICE deports more than 100 Chinese nationals in major op

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), led by its Dallas office, deported 122 Chinese nationals earlier this month as part of a coordinated Department of Homeland Security operation targeting individuals with final removal orders.

The details: The flight to China transported 96 men and 26 women, aged 19 to 68, from ICE detention centers nationwide. All deportees had received their final orders, with many convicted of what officials called “egregious crimes.” Those included murder, rape, drug trafficking, human smuggling, bribery and sexual offenses involving minors. Some notable cases included a 47-year-old convicted murderer, a 27-year-old rapist and a 55-year-old human smuggler.

What authorities are saying: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson acknowledged interagency partnerships and coordination between the agency’s field offices as behind the successful deportation.

“This operation not only enhances the public safety of our communities across the U.S. but also strengthens national security,” Johnson said in a news release. “Our colleagues at ICE come to work every day to identify, arrest and remove illegal aliens who attempt to circumvent our nation’s immigrations laws.”

The big picture: The operation, part of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration policy, came just before a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles that sparked a wave of protests across the country. Trump responded by deploying thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the city, bypassing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s constitutional authority and consequently drawing legal challenge.

 

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.