ICE arrests in southeastern US ongoing, more than 1,200 in Georgia, Mississippi

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests are ongoing nationwide, including in the southeastern states of Georgia and Mississippi. In this month alone, ICE officers have arrested more than 1,200 in the two states. Arrests were made through multiagency partnerships and ongoing investigations. Dozens of local law enforcement agencies, primarily led by sheriffs, have signed ICE 287(g) agreements. In Georgia and Mississippi, the majority have signed Task Force Model agreements. This is significant, ICE argues, because the TFM enables local law enforcement to make and assist with arrests. With new U.S. attorneys and a renewed collaboration among multiple law enforcement agencies, border crimes are being prosecuted, they argue. The arrests were also made without incident as ICE officers have been facing a 1,300% increase of vehicle attacks and death threats are up 8,000%, The Center Square reported. In Georgia, 1,226 criminal foreign nationals were arrested in "Operation Safe Community – Atlanta." Nearly all arrested were men with extensive criminal histories. They include a range of sex crimes, crimes against children, aggravated assault, assault and battery, drug crimes, lewd and lascivious acts, burglary, weapons crimes, among others. Among those arrested, 720 had either been convicted of or charged with crimes in the United States. Five of them were arrested at the address of a trucking company known for employing illegal foreign nationals, ICE said. The arrests came after more than 100 287(g) agreements have been signed with law enforcement in Georgia. As of August 21, the majority are TFM agreements, according to the data. Congress created the 287(g) program through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, which authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration functions only under ICE's direction and supervision. Under previous administrations, only one 287(g) partnership was used. The Trump administration is advocating for law enforcement to participate in three: a Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), a Task Force Model (TFM) and Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model. The TFM authorizes local law enforcement officers under the oversight of ICE to enforce limited immigration authority during routine police duties "such as identifying an alien at a DUI checkpoint and sharing information directly with ICE," ICE explains. The local law enforcement officers work with ICE on apprehension, transportation, detention and other actions, The Center Square reported. In Mississippi, more than 60 287(g) agreements have been signed as of August 21, nearly all are for the TFM. Local, state and federal law enforcement officers working with ICE Homeland Security Investigations arrested 70 people in a child exploitation-targeted investigation this month. In Operation Muddy Waters, they targeted child exploitation offenders and previously convicted sex offenders across the state. They also identified cross border and interstate crime. Those arrested were charged with child exploitation, solicitation of children, possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material, and violations involving previously convicted sex offenders, ICE said. As a result of the operation, multiple new child exploitation investigations have been launched, "including those involving individuals who allegedly traveled across state lines to engage in sexual activity with kids, suspects allegedly involved in the livestreaming of child sexual exploitation, and individuals accused of downloading, sharing or soliciting child sexual abuse material," ICE said. The operation also resulted in the arrest of "criminal illegal aliens unlawfully present in the United States who allegedly traveled across state lines to engage in sex with children, as well as individuals holding positions of public trust suspected of possessing child sexual abuse material." Examples of those arrested include a Honduran man illegally in the country who authorities say traveled from Tennessee to Mississippi for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a child; a Bangladesh national illegally living in Alabama who established communication with a 14-year-old boy via social media; multiple Mexican nationals and registered sex offenders with criminal histories; as well as U.S. citizens. The multi-agency effort was conducted after new U.S. attorneys are prosecuting border crimes in Mississippi, The Center Square reported. Under previous administrations, they weren't, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi Scott Leary has argued. Anyone with information related to child exploitation or border crimes is encouraged to call 866-DHS-2-ICE.