Arrests of immigrants up in 2008
By Liz Mineo
Daily News staff, GHS
Posted Oct 25, 2008 @ 11:47 PM
Newly released figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement show that Boston had a higher number of foreigners arrested for their ties to gangs than Houston, the same as Washington D.C. and a few less than Newark.
According to the figures, between February 2005 and September 2008, ICE agents arrested 464 people in Boston; 247 in Houston; 464 in Washington D.C. and 494 in Newark.
The arrests were part of ICE's Operation Community Shield, which began in 2005 to target violent transnational street gangs and their members, most of whom are foreigners with criminal histories and are here illegally.
In 2008, the arrests were greater in numbers than in previous years, said Paula Grenier, ICE spokeswoman. Between 2005 and 2007, Boston had 302 arrests, or on average 100 each year.
But in 2008, the number grew to 162 arrested, an increase of slightly more than 50 percent.
The new arrests highlights the fact that ICE has been tightening its grip in areas where gang activity is on the rise.
Nationwide, the operation netted a total of 11,106 street gang members and associates. Of them, more than 4,000 had violent criminal histories. Most hailed from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and belonged to gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha(MS-13), Mexican mafia, Surenos(SUR-13), 18th Street and Latin Kings.
The Boston area has experienced an increase in the number of transnational gang members, mostly in places like East Boston, Chelsea, Everett, but MetroWest has seen part of it too. Over the past few years, police have arrested a handful of them in Waltham, Marlborough and Framingham.
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1395943513/Arrests-of-immigrants-up-in-2008
