54 people were arrested last week in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting areas in Central California. ICE officials said over a third of the arrests took place in Monterey County, specifically in communities in the Salinas Valley.
In a statement, ICE officials said 83 percent of those arrested have prior criminal convictions, mostly DUIs and drug offenses. One had a record of felony child abuse and spousal battery.
Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are “subject to immediate removal from the country [or] federal criminal prosecution." That federal prosecution could mean up to 20 years in prison, the agency said.
According to the data ICE made available, seven people were arrested in King City, six in Greenfield and two in Soledad. All the people arrested are from Mexico except one from El Salvador. Two women were among those arrested.
CE said agents have increased arrests by nearly 40 percent compared to the same period last year, since President Trump signed executive orders prioritizing immigration enforcement.
