U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) played a key role in a multi-agency federal operation that led to the arrest of 133 individuals for immigration violations across New York, authorities announced April 14.
The enhanced enforcement effort, conducted from March 24 to 28, was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and focused on criminal noncitizens and other immigration violators in western, central, and northern parts of the state.
Among those apprehended, 20 individuals had criminal records or active charges, including three with homicide convictions. Nine of the arrested individuals had previously been removed from the United States and reentered unlawfully.
The operation also included a worksite enforcement component, during which agents executed four criminal search warrants. The searches targeted alleged violations of federal laws prohibiting the harboring of undocumented immigrants. The warrants resulted in multiple bookings, the seizure of business records, and 18 administrative arrests.
The joint effort included participation from numerous federal agencies, including the FBI’s Buffalo and Albany field offices, the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Buffalo, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western and Northern Districts of New York.
The arrests are part of a broader federal focus on enforcing immigration laws, targeting individuals who present public safety risks or have defied prior removal orders. ICE has emphasized that such operations prioritize individuals with serious criminal histories.
Officials did not release names or specific locations related to the arrests.
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