Operation Cross Check is an ongoing law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify, arrest, and deport illegal immigrants with criminal records. Since its launch in 2011, the operation has resulted in thousands of arrests and deportations across the United States.[1][2]
| Operation Cross Check | |
|---|---|
 Enforcement and Removal Operations officers apprehending a criminal target in northern Virginia during an Operation Cross Check | |
| Operation Name | Operation Cross Check |
| Operation Codename | Cross Check |
| Type | Law enforcement operation |
| Scope | National |
| Roster | |
| Planned by | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
| Initiated by | Obama administration |
| Executed by | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Local law enforcement agencies |
| Mission | |
| Target | Illegal immigrants with criminal convictions |
| Objective | To identify, arrest, and deport illegal immigrants with criminal records |
| Method | Coordinated raids |
| Timeline | |
| Date begin | 2011 |
| Duration | ongoing |
| Results | |
| Suspects | Over 100,000 identified |
| Arrests | Over 15,000 arrested in total |
| Convictions | Large, mostly resulting in deportation |
| Accounting | |
Background
editThe roots of Operation Cross Check lie in the broader strategy of ICE's enforcement priorities, which evolved significantly during the late 2000s.[3] By 2011, the Obama administration had intensified efforts to deport illegal immigrants with serious criminal records, focusing on those who posed a potential threat to national security and public safety.[4] The operation built on the Secure Communities program, which facilitated data sharing between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities to identify criminal aliens.[5][6]
Operation
editOperation Cross Check involves large-scale raids across multiple states, often coordinated to occur over a few days. These operations are highly organized, with ICE officers working closely with state and local law enforcement agencies. The operations target individuals with prior criminal convictions, especially those who have re-entered the U.S. illegally after being deported.[7]
In 2011, 2,900 Criminal Aliens were arrested by ICE.[8][9] One of the largest phases took place in March 2012, resulting in over 3,100 arrests. This operation targeted individuals involved in violent crimes, drug trafficking, and other serious offenses. Another significant operation in 2017 focused on gang members and those with ties to organized crime.[10][11][12]
Impact and controversy
editOperation Cross Check has been both supported and criticized. Supporters argue that it effectively removes dangerous individuals from communities, reducing crime rates and enhancing public safety.[13] However, the operation has also sparked controversy, with critics accusing it of targeting immigrants indiscriminately and contributing to racial profiling.[14] Critics also note that the operation has sown fear in immigrant communities especially ones with families,[15][16] leading to lower reporting of crimes by undocumented individuals.[17][18]
ICE continues to defend the operation, emphasizing that the majority of those arrested have significant criminal records and are not merely being targeted for minor immigration violations.[19] Despite the controversy, Operation Cross Check remains a key component of ICE's broader enforcement strategy under different administrations.
References
edit- ^ "ICE Arrests Nearly 3,000 in 7-Day Operation". New York Times. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Federal Officials Announce Operation Cross Check Results in Arrests". Washington Post. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Dow, Mark (2004). American Gulag: Inside U.S. Immigration Prisons. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520240612.
- ^ Meissner, Doris; Kerwin, Donald; Chishti, Muzaffar; Bergeron, Claire (2013). Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery (PDF). Washington, DC: MPI Press. ISBN 978-0-9831591-4-8.
- ^ Chishti, Muzzaffar (2012). The Role of Local Police: Striking a Balance Between Immigration Enforcement and Civil Liberties. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8157-2347-1.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ Kohli, Aarti, Markowitz, Peter L., Chavez, Lisa (2011). Secure Communities by the Numbers: An Analysis of Demographics and Due Process (PDF) (Report). Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy, University of California, Berkeley.
{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "ICE arrests more than 3,100 convicted criminal aliens and immigration fugitives in nationwide operation". ICE. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Gomez, Alan (2011-10-03). "Immigration Sweep Nets 2,900 Criminal Immigrants". USA Today. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "ICE Arrests 2,900 Criminal Aliens in Nationwide Enforcement Operation". Department of Homeland Security. 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Holpuch, Amanda (2017-05-11). "ICE Arrests Nearly 1,400 People in Raids Targeting Gangs". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Operation Cross Check 2017 Targets Criminal Aliens, Gang Members". U.S. Department of Justice. 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Statement from Secretary Kelly on recent ICE enforcement actions". Department of Homeland Security. 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "Operation Cross Check Results in Arrest of 123 Criminal Aliens and Immigration Fugitives". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ "ACLU Reacts to Latest ICE Raid Reports". ACLU. 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Wessler, Seth Freed (November 2011). Shattered Families: The Perilous Intersection of Immigration Enforcement and the Child Welfare System (Report). Applied Research Center. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Goodman, Amy (2017-03-01). "Mass ICE Raids Lead to Deportations and Separations, Sparking Fear in Immigrant Communities". Democracy Now. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
- ^ Menjivar, Cecilia (2016). Immigration Law and the Lives of Central American Immigrants. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-5202-9075-5.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ Varsanyi, Monica (2011). Taking Local Control: Immigration Policy Activism in U.S. Cities and States. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-7150-1.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Operation Cross Check: Protecting America by Removing Threats". ICE. 2017. Retrieved 2024-08-13.