Secretary

U.S.DepartmentofHomelandSecurityWashington,DC20528

HomelandSecurity

June14,2007TheHonorableChristopherJ.DoddUnitedStatesSenateWashington,DC20510DearSenatorDodd:ThankyouforyourJune11,2007letterco-signedbySenatorJosephI.LiebennanandRepresentativeRosaL.DeLaura,regardingaU.S.ImmigrationandCustomsEnforcement ICE)immigrationenforcementoperationthatoccurredinNewHaven,Connecticut,onJune6,2007.SenatorLiebennanandRepresentativeDeLaurowillreceiveseparate,identicalresponses.InadditiontocommittingsignificantresourcestopreventaliensfromillegallyenteringtheUnitedStates,theDepartmentofHomelandSecurity DHS)hasalsocommittedresourcestoarrestingimmigrationlawviolatorswithintheNation sinterior.AnyalienwhohasfailedtodeparttheUnitedStatespursuanttoafinalorderofremoval,deportationorexclusion,orwhohasfailedtoreporttoanICEDetentionandRemovalOfficeafterreceivingnoticetodoso,isconsideredtobeafugitive.Atpresent,thereareover632,000fugitivealiensatlargeintheUnitedStates,accordingtoICE sOfficeofDetentionandRemovalOperations DRO)DeportableAlienControlSystem DACS).FugitiveOperationsTeams FOTs)wereestablishedtoaddresstheburgeoningnumberoffugitivealienspresentintheUnitedStates.FOTsareacrucialpartofICE sinteriorimmigrationenforcementmission.AcriticalelementoftheFOTstrategyistoidentify,locate,arrest,andremovecriminalaliens,fugitives,andotherimmigrationlawviolatorsfromtheUnitedStates.FOTsuseleadsandotherintelligence-basedinfonnationtofind,arrest,andremovealienswhohavebeenorderedtoleavethecountrybyanimmigrationjudge ororderedremovedthroughanalternateimmigrationprocess)buthavefailedtocomply.InFY2006,therewasfundinginplacefor52teams.DuringFY2007,Congressprovidedfundingforanadditional23teams,increasingthetotalnumberoffundedteamsto75.AsofMay28,2007,61teamsareoperational.TheseteamsarebeingdeployedatDROFieldOfficesthroughouttheUnitedStates,andeachofthe24DROFieldOfficeswillhaveatleastoneoperationalFOTbytheendofFY2007.Further,onMay26,2006,ICEbeganOperationReturntoSender,anationwideinteriorenforcementinitiativethatappliesanorganizedandmethodicalapproachtotheidentification,location,andarrestoffugitivealiens.ConductedaspartofICE sNationalFugitiveOperations

www.dhs.gov

 

Program(NFOP),OperationReturntoSendercombinesNFOPresourceswiththoseofotherFederal,State,andlocallawenforcemententitiestoeliminatethebacklogofICEfugitivecases.Inyourletter,youinquiredaboutthetimingofICE'soperationinNewHavenandwhetherthetargetsofoperationsaredeterminedbasedonintelligenceaboutspecificindividuals.FOTsactonspecificintelligence-baseddatagatheredthroughlawenforcementchannels.Onceintelligenceisgatheredonseveralfugitiveslocatedwithinthesamegeneralvicinity,aFOTwilldevelopanoperationalplanfortheswiftandsafearrestofthefugitivealiensinthemostfiscallyefficientway.AsofJune11,2007,29illegalalienswerearrestedasaresultofthisenforcementinitiative.Fiveofthe29aliensarrestedwerefugitiveswithoutstandingordersofremoval.Theremaining24illegalalienswerearrestedattargetedlocationsoftheoperation.IwanttoemphasizethatitisnotourpolicyforFOTstoconduct raids, ortakeanadhocapproachtoenforcingimmigrationlaw;rather,thepolicyistofocustheireffortsonspecificfugitivealiensatspecificlocations.AccordingtoICEpolicy,FOTsprioritizetheireffortsusingthefollowingcriteria(inorderofpriority):(1)fugitiveswhoareathreattonationalsecurity;(2)fugitiveswhoposeathreattothecommunity;(3)fugitiveswhowereconvictedofviolentcrimes;(4)fugitiveswhohavecriminalrecords;and,(5)non-criminalfugitives.Inregardtoyourquestionsrelatedtowarrants,DROissuesa

Warrantof eportation Removal

(1-205)uponanorderofremovalbyanimmigrationjudge.Ifthealienfailstoappearforremoval,thealienisdeemedanICEfugitive.Awarrantofremovalisadministrativeinnatureanddoesnotgrantthesameauthoritytoenterdwellingsasajudiciallyapprovedsearchorarrestwarrant.Duringthecourseofnormaltargetedoperations,whileattemptingtoarrestICEfugitives,FOTsoftenencounterotherindividualsatthetargetedlocation.Awarrantisnotnecessarywhenarrestingsomeonewhoisinthecountryillegally.Pursuanttosection287(a)(I)oftheImmigrationandNationalityAct(INA),8U.S.c.§1357(a)(l),anofficerhastheauthoritytoquestionanypersonastotheirrighttoenter,reenter,passthrough,orresideintheUnitedStates.IfapersonisdeemedtobeanalienintheUnitedStatesillegallyandisbelievedtoberemovable,theymaybearrestedwithoutwarrantandprocessedaccordinglyforremoval.QuestioningastoidentityorrequestforidentificationdoesnotconstituteaFourthAmendmentseizure.Theindividualbeinginterviewedmustvoluntarilyagreetoremainduringquestioning.Todetainanindividualforfurtherquestioning,however,theimmigrationofficermusthavereasonablesuspicionthattheindividualhascommittedacrime,isanalienwhoisunlawfullypresent,isanalienwithstatuswhoiseitherinadmissibleorremovablefromtheUnitedStates,orisanonimmigrantwhoisrequiredtoprovidetruthfulinformationtoDHSupondemand.

See

8C.F.R.§214.1(f).Inaddition,section264(e)oftheINA,8U.S.c.§1304(e),requiresaliens18yearsofageandoldertocarryproofofalienregistrationatalltimes.Failuretocarrysuchproofisamisdemeanorpunishablebyupto30daysinimprisonmentandafineof 100.AtnotimedidanyICEFOTsenteradwellingwithoutconsent.Toensureconsentwasobtainedknowinglyandvoluntarilyfromthedwelling'soccupant,eachteamhadaSpanishspeakingofficerassignedtoit.Afterconsentwasobtained,theoccupantwasaskedhowmanyotherindividualswereinthehouse.Ifotherpersonswerepresent,thoseindividualswereaskedtocomeintoacommonareaforofficersafety.

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ICEofficersascertainedduringthisquestioningwhethertherewereanyhumanitarianconcernsatthesceneofarrestbyaskingthosearrestediftheyhadanymedicalconditionsorchildcareissues.ICEagentsdidnottakeanychildrenintocustodyandensurednochildwasleftunattendedwithoutaparentorcaregiver.Inoneinstance,ICEofficersstayedwithanll-year-oldchildwhohadbeenlefthomealonebyherparentsandawaitedthefather sarrivalfromwork.FamilymemberswereprovidedtheaddressandtelephonenumberofthelocalICEofficeatthesceneofarrestinordertoascertainthewhereaboutsofthosearrested.Familymemberswerealsoinstructedthatitmaytakeafewhoursbeforetheywouldknowdefinitivelyinwhichfacilitythosearrestedwouldbehousedastheywouldhavetobeprocessedandtransportedtothosefacilities.Asamatterofpolicy,thosearrestedwithoutoutstandingWarrantsofRemovalwereprovidedalistoffreelegalservices.Additionally,onceprocessed,theopportunitytomakephonecallswasprovided.LocalICEofficesroutinelyprovideinformationtoattorneysastotheirclients whereabouts.ICEdidnotcoordinatewithanylocalsocialserviceagenciespriortooraftertheoperationaschildrenwerenottakenintocustodynorweretheyleftunattendedwithoutaparentorcaregiver.However,duringthecourseofanyofficiallarge-scaleoperation,FOTsareinstructedtocontactthelocallawenforcementhavingjurisdictionovertheareaofoperationspriortocommencementofanoperationforofficersafety,liaison,additionalsupport,andcourtesy.OnthedayoftheNewHavenoperation,locallawenforcementwascalled1hourand15minutesafterthecommencementoftheoperation.DRO sBostonFieldOfficeandHartfordSub-Officenormallyworkcloselywithlocalpolicedepartments.Infact,priortotheoperation scommencement,DRO sHartfordSub-OfficecontactedtheNewHavenPoliceDepartmentregardingtheoperationonthreeoccasionsbeginninginearlyApril.TheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorinitiallyattemptedtocontactSgt.LisaDaddio,theofficerinchargeoftheDetectiveBureau,andleftamessage.TheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorattemptedasecondcallafewweekslateranddidspeaktoSgt.Daddio.DuringhisconversationwithSgt.Daddio,theHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorindicatedthathisofficeanticipatedexecutinganapproximately20-targetwarrantoperationinthenearfutureandinquiredastowhattypeofassistanceandcooperationICEcouldexpectfromthepolicedepartment.Sgt.DaddiorequestedtheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorspeakwithhersuperior,Lt.PatRedding,regardingICEactivitiesinthecity.Withindays,theHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorspoketoLt.Redding.TheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorwasinformedthatLt.ReddingwouldspeakwithhisAssistantChiefforOperationsinordertoprovidehimmoreinformation.Lt.ReddingnevercontactedtheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorwitharesponse.AftertheHartfordFugitiveOperationSupervisorconsultedwiththeHartfordAssistantFieldOfficeDirector AFOD),itwasdecidedthattheNewHavenPoliceDepartmentwouldbegivenacourtesycallonthemorningoftheoperationandtherewouldnotbearequestforassistance

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