A joint effort between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Virginia law enforcement officials has resulted in the removal of 15 foreign nationals convicted of sex offenses from Virginia and D.C., officials announced Friday.
The 15 arrests were made during Operation SOAR (Sexual Offender Alien Removal), an enforcement program to determine whether people convicted of sex offenses are eligible to be removed from the United States.
During the operation, 356 foreign national sex offenders were located and will be processed for removal when they complete their sentences, 183 foreign nationals were found to be U.S. citizens, and 15 were arrested and have been put into removal proceedings.
“We are committed to keeping Virginians safe and secure,” said Gov. Bob McDonnell. “No criminal alien sex offenders should be allowed to remain in our communities.”
Virginia also participates in a program called Secure Communities, under which local jails check arrestees’ fingerprints against biometrics-based records held by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as criminal records held by the FBI.
“While Virginia has its disagreements with the federal government on certain issues, Operation SOAR and programs related to it – such as Secure Communities – have emerged from a strong federal-state collaborative effort,” said Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. “Virginia called on ICE for its help in apprehending and deporting criminal alien sex offenders to get them out of our communities, and we could not have done this critical law enforcement initiative without the agency.”
