Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested dozens of criminal illegal immigrants residing in California in “phase one” of a nationwide operation.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers took into custody 128 people across Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco between Sept. 18 and Oct. 3, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf announced Wednesday. Wolf said 96% of those arrested had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of arrest and had been released from jail despite ICE’s requests that they be turned over to face deportation proceedings for being in the United States illegally.