A Guyanese who was convicted of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and kidnapping is among the 55 foreign nationals arrested during a recently-concluded six-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

ERO deportation officers in New York targetted at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives during the operation which ran from Monday, Nov. 13 to Monday, Nov. 20.

Of those arrested, ICE had lodged detainers on 42 of the foreign nationals when they were in local law enforcement custody, and they were all released without the detainers being honoured. Ten were immigration fugitives or were previously removed from the U.S.

Some of the individuals arrested during the enforcement action will be presented for 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. 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.

Last week’s arrestees (46 men and nine women) included nationals from 22 countries – Mexico (20); Jamaica (5), Ecuador (4), Honduras (3), Colombia (2), Dominican Republic (2), El Salvador (2), Guatemala (2), Yemen (2), Bangladesh (1), France (1), Guyana (1), Jordan (1), Nigeria (1), Poland (1), Romania (1), Slovakia (1), Spain (1), Trinidad (1), Yemen (1), Serbia (1), Egypt (1).

Although Kings and Queens counties accounted for the largest number of arrests during the operation, ERO deportation officers conducted enforcement actions in all boroughs of New York City, and Putnam and Westchester counties.